To Storm or Fire
by nevvt
Summary: [Genderbent Elsa-Elliott, Anna-Anders, Kristoff-Krista, Hans-Helena.] The eternal winter was stopped, but the storm is far from over. King Elliott must fix his broken kingdom, revive his friendship with his brother Andy- AND deal with the Southern Isles. Sequel to A Brother More Like Me.
1. Princess Guide

**To avoid confusion, I've made this chart with all 13 princess' of the Southern Isles, it's **_**way**_** less detailed than the one I use to write. This is more for name purposes and key characteristics with my limited vocabulary skills lol . Here's all the sisters that have been mentioned as far as ABMLM, and I'll update this chart as more are added. this is a **_**really **_**basic chart and not exactly well made, but i think it serves its purpose, it's the first chapter so it can be used for reference if i'm ever not clear enough. 12 characters is a lot to keep track of.**

1stAstrid- queen

2nd Maddy- facial scar

3rd Cecile- mentally ill. cant walk

4th (with twin)

5th(with twin)

6th (bastard)

7th Sophia- actress

8th Katherine- kinda manly. swordfight stuff

9th Rowena- mean fuckin bitch.

10thCristina- (with twin) sonja's twin, a bitch, rly violent

11th Sonja- (with twin) kinda ok, rly pretty but shallow

12th Johanna- (bastard) smarty

13nd- Helena

Lucille Westergard- cousin/ traitorous crow

**i know stuff like "bitch" doesn't tell u much about the character, but obviously there's a **_**lot **_**more to them than that. this is just, like, the first word that comes to mind for me when i think of them. as i said, this will be updated as we go along :). or u can just look back on ABMLM on helena's POV when she mentions her lovely siblings**

**cover art by the amazing juliajm15**


	2. Chapter 1

● Andy ●

The second night in a row, Andy dreamed the same dream.

_There is ice in your heart, and your brother put it there_, the old troll had said. From there it was a series of little pieces of memories flashing one after the other, in very quick succession. A frozen fjord, a fire crystal pulsing with life, racing against all odds to reach the castle, two heavy gates opening... and then it would stop. It would come to a halt in the worst part.

The study.

Dark as ever, and even colder, the only source of light _and _warmth being the fireplace. But then that light was put out-

_She _would be there, perfectly poised, a lazy smile on her lips. But her features weren't soft and pretty, they looked jagged, and she looked like she was made of glass. Her smile would stretch wide, _so wide_, and it would reveal pointy teeth that looked like they belonged to a shark. And then she would pounce at _his face_-

The dream ended. It always ended there.

It was probably a good thing, that it ended there, and that the nightmare was _muted_, because if he had to hear those words- hear _her _say-

"_If only there was someone out there who loved you_."

Andy woke with a sharp intake of breath, running his hands through his hair like it was on fire, then his cheeks, his throat- orienting, feeling for warmth. Thawed. Human. But the memories were too fresh, barely days since the ice had clawed into his lungs, blinded his eyes, froze blood and bone. He tried to steady his breathing as he looked around, taking in the scene-

He was on the floor, surrounded by blankets and pillows. Why in the world was he-

"Andy?"

"_Gods-!_" Andy jerked back and blinked harder, trying to get his eyes to adjust. He pulled the fur lined blanket up to his chin, hiding his non-existent breasts.

Bright blue eyes peered at him through the darkness. The only light came from the moon outside, which made his brother's hair look white. He was laying a few feet away, he'd propped himself up on his elbow, his other arm was hugging a pillow. And then Andy remembered- they'd built a pillow fort, because Andy was just childish like that. He demanded they make up for all the lost time as soon as possible- building a pillow fort and sleeping in it had been very high on his list of Things Elliot And I Will Do At All Costs.

Being the king and all Elliott had been a little reluctant, but at Andy's insistence, they'd done it. They had asked Kai to find every blanket- wool, fur, anything would do. And every pillow- from simple stuffing to goose feathers, they had it. His older brother would never admit it, but he'd had plenty of fun. They both had.

"Are you okay?"

"I- um, I'm fine," Andy lied. Elliott had _plenty _to worry about after the Great Thaw, he did not need to stress over Andy's nightmares too. He lay back down and shivered at the nonexistent cold in the room, "I kinda forgot you were there." He grabbed a pillow and put it over his face, not wanting to see Elliott's piercing stare anymore.

"Are you cold?"

"No," he lied again, his voice muffled from the pillow, "It's just a little drafty in here, is all."

"It's not," he could still feel Elliott's gaze on him, "Then again, it's not like I would know," his brother laughed uneasily. Oh, yeah, the whole _immunity to the cold_ thing. For the past few days, his brother had been mixing his regular clothes with ice ones he made for himself. He always seemed a little more confident in the ice outfits. After a pause, he heard Elliott shift in his spot, "You were having a nightmare."

He wasn't asking it, he was stating it. Andy didn't bother to lie again. "It's nothing."

Elliott sighed and crawled towards him. He pulled the pillow away from his face and tossed it behind him. "If- if it's _her _you're worried about, you don't have to- she's locked up. They should come for her any day now, and she'll be out of our lives forever."

"_When_?" Andy didn't mean to make it sound so demanding, but that's how it came out. He could not wait for her to leave, to stop haunting him, to get over- over _everything-_

"_Soon_. Trust me, I don't want her here either," Elliott cast him one last, determined look before he shuffled back to his own nest of blankets. "We'll see about her trial..." Elliott snuggled back on his covers, "If it goes sour, Helena Westergard could be executed." He didn't sound happy, or sad, or shocked- just neutral, factual. A bell rang inside Andy's head.

"_Executed_! Elliott- she's... she's..." Andy sat up with a start, his wide eyes locked on his brother's back, "She's a sociopath, no doubt, but- I mean..."

Nobody deserved that. It was- _no_, it just couldn't be allowed. He'd rather have her living a thousand leagues away than dead right there. Besides, he'd turned it over a thousand times inside his mind- he didn't think Helena to be truly and purely _evil_, there was more to her than that, a part of her he could not understand, but pondering about it now made his head hurt so he left it alone.

His brother sat up again, meeting Andy's panicked face, "I do not wish to see her dead, if that's what you're- _gods_, I don't want_ that_." Elliott rubbed at the gathering stubble on his jaw, "But it's not up to me. I don't know how the Southern Isles justice system works, if they'll let Arendelle carry the trial- _I don't know_... Her sister is the queen- Astrid, is it?"

"Astrid," Andy confirmed, remembering with how much resentment Helena had spoken about her oldest sibling a million years ago when they'd walked all around the palace arm-in-arm. Had that really happened? It felt like a dream. Like it had happened to someone else. Back when he'd thought the princess was an open door to love and _he'd been so foolish-_

"There you go. I don't think Astrid would allow her youngest sister to... you know, _die_," Elliott said, but he didn't sound as confident as he probably wanted to. "We'll... we'll see, I guess. It's not like-"

Aggressive pounding on the door made him stop mid sentence.

"_STOP THE GOSSIP YOU TWO, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT_."

Anyone else would have paid dearly for yelling at the king and prince of Arendelle that way, but General Winter wasn't anyone else. He was like an adorable and deadly grandfather who could make you smile with snowballs or murder you with his bare hands. Andy wasn't sure if the magical snowman needed sleep, but it was well-known that their snowy friend hated any sort of _talking_.

Andy stifled a boyish giggle that threatened to escape, "Okay, gramps, good night!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

Elliott laughed as he lay back down, and Andy did the same. _Get in trouble with the authority_, check, he thought, from his Things Elliot And I Will Do At All Costs list. General Winter was the closest thing to authority the king would get scolded by, so he might as well make that one count and get on with the list.

"It'll be okay. We'll be okay," he heard Elliott yawn from the other side. His brother liked to sleep curled up, like a cat, while Andy enjoyed occupying as much space as possible, his limbs everywhere. "Good night."

"Night."

He dreamed of a rose garden made of ice.

● Krista ●

"Run this by me again- you said _no_?"

"Yes."

Bulda groaned and smacked the blonde girl's leg, which was a _little very _painful, since the hands were broad and they were _stone_.

"Krista Bjorgman! I did _not _raise you to be this way!" the troll huffed angrily. Krista turned away from her, but there really was nowhere to run, her little hut only had so much space, and most of it was occupied by Suri's big reindeer self. Bulda rolled in front of her quick as a ninja, blocking her path.

"Raise me _what _way, Ma?" Krista tried to sidestep her, but her mother clung to her leg like a koala, her grip was like iron. This was not the first time this had happened.

Bulda looked up at her with her big black eyes, her gray face bordering on desperation. "To decline the invitations of handsome princes to stay over and build pillow forts, Kri-Kri! You should have said _yes_."

She could feel the tip of her ears get warm with embarrassment at the mention of Andy. _Of course _she'd wanted to say _yes_, but the pillow-fort thing was an activity meant for Andy and _Elliott_, and gods know they needed that brotherly experience. She didn't feel entirely comfortable joining in on that special time. She was still getting used to Andy, even Elliott. They hadn't known each other for very long, even if it felt like it. So excuse her for not attending the sleepover.

"I'll go next time, Ma," she said, partly because she hoped she _would_, partly to get Bulda _out _so she could get some much needed sleep. The past couple of days had been beyond anything she'd ever imagined, and since the Great Thaw as it was known around the village, she'd spent most of her time with Prince Andy, they went with Suri to test out the new sled driving like maniacs. But the Prince had to split his time between her and Elliott- from what Andy had told her, his brother was a little stressed by the consequences of the eternal winter. Damages had to be paid and relationships with other kingdoms had to be rekindled.

And thinking about that made Krista think of _her_. Helena of the Southern Isles. There had been no word from her relatives, as far as she knew. Elliott had sent a message, but gods know if it got through. The most damaged ship had belonged to the princess, so she was stranded here. No other kingdom exactly volunteered to take her back.

Andy had told her bits and pieces about what _happened_, but every time he got to the part of the study, he got really quiet and fidgety and she'd just drop it. No need to make him relieve it all again, whatever that wicked girl had done that definitely was _not _a true love's kiss.. Besides the Andy-Thing, she'd seen the princess with her own eyes- with sword in hand, ready to kill King Elliott. And then Andy had stepped in, and...

The pressure was released from her leg as Bulda let go, her face softening- if stone could soften, that is... "I just- I just don't want you to push him away. He cares for you, and you care for him, and-"

"I won't do that! Why would you say that?"

"You have a tendency to- ah, push people away. You don't let anyone get close." Bulda put in as delicately as she could. It didn't matter how she put it, really, Krista knew it was true. If you don't let anyone get close, then they can't hurt you. That's why her best friend was a reindeer.

_Reindeers are better than people_.

Krista smiled as she remembered the little motto she'd made up when Olga had rudely thrown her out of her shop. _People will beat you and curse you and cheat you_. She sat down and leaned on the sleeping Suri, this not being the first time her buddy was used as a pillow. "Don't worry, Ma. I like Andy, he's... um, I like him. I'm not pushing him away anytime soon." She smiled at the skeptical troll who was eyeing her with a funny look.

"Fine, fine. But remember- _what _do we say if handsome princes ask us over?"

Krista resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "We say yes with no hesitation whatsoever."

Bulda pinched her cheek with her thick fingers, "That's my girl!"

This time she did roll her eyes. but with a big smile on her face. She snuggled Suri's soft brown fur as Bulda blew out the candle and left Krista's little hut-home, right there in the Valley of the Living Rock.

She dreamed of celery green eyes.

● Elliott ●

Elliott waited until Andy's breathing steadied somehow. Half of him wanted to stay and be there if Andy had another nightmare, but half of him needed to leave. Gods knew he had demons of his own. He slipped out from the covers, not that he used many; the cold didn't bother him.

Andy, on the other hand, was under a heap of them. Even if his brother had insisted he wasn't cold, Elliott knew better. Being frozen alive and brought back ought to leave a little something behind. Would his little brother feel cold for the rest of his days? He hoped _not_, he really hoped not. Other people would have cringed if their bare feet touched the cold wood floor, but Elliott barely felt it. He tiptoed away, grabbing a bathrobe on his way out.

General Winter wasn't patrolling the hall anymore, which was good. Elliott didn't feel like explaining _what _he was doing, because even he was still questioning _why_ he'd left the comfortable pillow fort he and his brother had made. Andy had come in with the idea at a perfect time, when Elliott was meant to be writing apology letters to _ever single _guest for the _inconvenience _that happened during his coronation. He didn't mind the interruption, in fact, it was great. Great that Andy wanted to spend time with him and didn't hate him for _almost killing him_-

_Stop. _He sighed, tried to remember the words Andy had said as they were placing blankets and pillows around, on one of those rare times they talked about everything that had happened. _Not your fault_.

If he said it enough, maybe he'd start to believe it. Sneaking out like this in the middle of the night reminded him of the last time he'd done it with Andy, thirteen years ago when the ballroom fiasco had gone down. He still hadn't talked to Andy about _that_... he wondered if Andy already knew, since he'd apparently been to see the trolls. Pabbie might have restored his memories then? Elliott didn't know, and he was too afraid to ask. All his brother had told him was that they'd gone to see the trolls because Krista sort of lived with them, and the leader troll had told him about the ice in his heart and _not your fault, not your fault_.

He sped up the pace when he passed the picture of his parents, the massive oil painting that hung from the wall and judged him as he went by. For now he couldn't stand it if they looked at him, he had mixed feelings about them and- and _hating _them was something he didn't want. So avoiding was the better option for now.

The place where he wanted- well, _needed_ to be was at the other side of the castle. As far away from everything and everyone as possible. It had to be done _now_, before he lost his nerve. If he didn't do this, he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, the issue would keep him awake all night.

Just like he'd ordered, there was a guard standing outside _her_ door, someone was always there, day or night. The man was slumped a little against the wall, half asleep and probably bored out of his mind. Elliott cleared his throat softly, and the man jolted completely awake.

"Your Grace!" he said a little loudly. The sound echoed, and Elliott brought a finger up to his lips. _Sh_. "Your Grace?" the man said more quietly, seemingly embarrassed.

"I need to go in for a moment," Elliott said, nodding at the door behind him, an indirect _step aside_.

The man shifted his feet uncomfortably, his brows furrowing, "You said no one was allowed in after she-"

"I know, I know what I said," _after she stabbed the messenger with a fork_, but he was the _king_, obviously _he _was allowed in. "But this is really important."

The man hesitated for one more second before unlocking the door and stepping aside, he still looked wary. Elliott lay a hand on his shoulder, "Speak of this to no one, please," his voice was cold, measured, the way his father had taught him to make silent threats. He knew how quick word traveled in the palace, and _this _was the last thing he wanted to be noted. He was going to hire new staff, too, now that his secret was out. The man nodded his agreement, and he gulped audibly.

Inside it was warm, the coals of a fire that had been burning on the fireplace were still hot, still glowing a little. It would look like any other guest room in the palace if it wasn't for the barred windows, the doors that locked from the outside, the lack of any sharp objects- including mirrors. The only light came from that faded fire and the filtered moonlight from between the bars on the windows. He'd half expected to find the princess awake- but she was not a vampire, apparently. She was in the simple bed against the wall, tangled up in the sheets with auburn hair splayed out on the pillow.

He hesitated for the first time since coming all this way, not sure how to make his presence known. The last thing he wanted to do was touch her, and he didn't want to make too much noise and _ugh_. Maybe he should throw something.

For a split second the evil thought of throwing a snowball crossed his mind, but he shook it out. He was not _that _mean. He froze when the girl turned over, but luckily she was still fast asleep. For the past few days, whenever he thought of Helena the image that would pop up in his brain was her sneering face and eyes ablaze, looking almost primal. _Not_ an innocent-looking girl with a dusting of freckles across her nose, with her mouth slightly open.

"_Helena_," he hissed, because out loud he couldn't exactly address her as _Her_. She frowned in her sleep, but did not move. Elliott approached the bed but still left a respectable distance between them. "_Helena_."

He could practically _feel _his courage faltering, his nerve leaving him. What was he doing here, this was a stupid mistake-

The Princess made a sound between a curse and a moan before she rolled over, turning her back on him. Elliott felt a spark of impatience. _No_, he'd come all this way, he would not be leaving without the answers that may or may not give him peace of mind. He needed to hear it from her, or else sleep would be inconceivable. An evil smirk pulled at his lips as he summoned the ice to his bare, gloveless hand. He remembered when he was fourteen and so terrified of his powers he'd slept with gloves on more than once. Not anymore.

The small of her back was exposed since she rolled over, the perfect target. "Helena," he gave her one last chance. The Princess was still unresponsive. _Too bad_, Elliott let the ice swirl away towards the exposed skin-

"_GODS_!" she yelped, and jumped a few inches off the mattress. _That ought to wake you_, Elliott thought smugly. That marked the second time that night he'd startled someone and they'd blurted out those words. She twisted her body around, glaring first at her back, and then up at-

Her eyes locked on his.

Surprise, confusion and a little anger clouded her eyes before they settled for what could only be described as cockiness. For the first time he noticed- one of her eyes was black. The bruise was ugly, mostly purple and green, a little yellow at the edges. He was about to ask when he remembered the why- the man she'd stabbed with a fork after delivering the news that her sisters would be coming had punched her as he'd tried to get away. His pity dissolved as fast as it had appeared.

A lazy smirk spread across her lips as she regarded him. "King Elliott," she drawled, and she sat cross-legged on the bed. "To _what_ do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

He considered messing with her, telling her that her sisters had arrived a little earlier- to see how she'd react this time. But he didn't. He also didn't want her getting the better of him, with this casual attitude around him, almost insolent. "I need to talk to you," he said evenly.

● Helena ●

"Come here to gloat?" she kept her smile in place, but inside she was _seething_. She was mad at _them_ of course, but mostly, at herself. Oh, how everything had fallen apart so quickly. All it took was Andy not dying like he was supposed to, running out into the gods damned storm and _jumping in front of her sword_-

_Thinking _about it made her mad, it made her crazy mad. It made her blood boil. _And _as if that hadn't been absolutely terrible enough, _her _ship was one of the few too damaged to sail. She was stuck in this place full of people that hated her- not much different from home, but this was a different kind of hate. She'd actually kind of done something to deserve this. _Gods _know who would come to pick up poor little Helena with her tail between her legs. She hoped with every fiber of her being that it would not be Cristina or Rowena, they would have her put to death on the _spot_.

If Katherine came, that would be perfect. She would save her sorry ass, like she'd done many times in the past. She could always count on Katherine, the sister that taught her how to sword fight and that would most likely never turn her back on Helena. Even dumb Sonja would be a blessing, just as long as it was not her twin or Rowena she'd be fine. If _Astrid _herself came, though- she didn't know how to feel about the Queen of the Southern Isles.

The corner of the king's mouth twitched, but his expression remained neutral. "No, I didn't come here to gloat. I need to ask you something." Her skin still tingled from where his ice had hit her. It was _magic _ice, of course, so there was no trace of it, all that remained was the cold feeling and a few sparkle-like things on her back. She hated his power over ice very much.

Helena was a little afraid, but she refused to let it show. He'd seen enough of her weakness, when she'd stabbed that stupid man with the fork she ended up crying, both from frustration and fear and because _he dared hit her_ but mostly because gods dammit her _sisters were coming_. But in front of him, she kept up her confident front, "In the middle of the _night_? Oh, _Elliott_, I didn't know you were this cheeky."

She got the reaction she wanted. Elliott scowled, and even in the dark she could see the color rise on his cheeks. The dork was wearing a bathrobe over- well, his bare chest, and pajama pants. Now she felt a little embarrassed as well, but kept the fake smile on. She didn't want to see him, let alone _talk _to him. But... truth be told, she'd rather talk to this one than to the brother- Gods, _Andy_. She didn't want to see Andy, not after the ship where his new blondie girlfriend had pushed her off. If they never talked again even better.

Elliott grabbed a chair and dragged it over so he was facing her, he obviously didn't want to sit on the bed which was fine by her. She didn't want him sitting there either. If he was sitting down, then his little talk was probably going to last a while. "What I want to ask is... about your sister, Queen Astrid."

Out of all the things she'd expected, _that _had _not _been one of them. She couldn't help it; her confident face fell right off, and was replaced with an expression that was probably pathetic. She crawled over to the wall and sat against it to face Elliott properly, at least look him in the eye. "Why?"

"Because I want to know how the Southern Isles system works," the king replied, he said the words but they didn't make sense in Helena's head. What did he care to know?

And she might as well let him know her thought process, "What do you care?"

Something dark flickered across Elliott's face. _Oh_, she probably made him mad. She hadn't considered what _he _felt about her, having, well... tried to kill him and his little brother. Take his kingdom. This man probably wanted to see her dead. If he really wanted, he could, honestly. A spike of ice through her heart and who would miss the 13th Princess of the Southern Isles? "I care _because_ I don't want to see you dead, Helena. Treason and attempted homic- _well_, you know," when he spoke his voice was a little lower, almost strangled. She made him _mad _alright. "Those crimes are _very _serious. I want to know how... how your people _handle_ such offenses."

Helena wanted to laugh or cry, she couldn't decide on which. Oh _now _he was trying to... what? Help her? Gods, this man was _too much_. But she lost nothing by telling him, telling him all about their stupid system. "There's a council," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, because she felt the rising hysteria in the pit of her gut and she wanted to keep it controlled. "The Council of Thirteen they call it."

She could practically see the wheels turning inside the king's head, connecting the dots. His eyes narrowed as he reached the obvious conclusion. "Thirteen sisters- thirteen seats? Your council is _your family_?"

"Surprise," she said grimly, managing a smile which probably looked more like a grimace. "We all vote, majority wins. Simple, democratic, not very efficient."

"Okay, let me get this straight... if seven of your sisters want you _dead_," she flinched. "Then...?" he dragged his index finger across his throat in a cutting gesture.

"_Yes_. But Astrid... she's got a little bit of priority, being the queen and the oldest and all... in most cases, it goes how she wishes, unless there's strong opposition."

Elliott rubbed at his jaw, where there was some new stubble from the past few days. Helena looked away, a creeping feeling of shame flooding her. Here he was, the guy she tried to murder and take everything from, genuinely asking her about things to see if they were in her best interest. She was such _trash_-

"Thirteen votes, is it-"

"_Well_. Sometimes it's less."

Elliott blinked at her, surprised that she'd offer up any information at all. She was already telling him, he might as well know bits of the whole thing. "Why is that?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"One... one of my sisters, _Cecile_, she's..." Helena looked for the right word, because _crazy_ just didn't apply to Cecile anymore. Helena felt a little crazy herself since _the Great Thaw_ or whatever these idiots were calling it. Most of her sisters, too, were pretty crazy. "She's sick," she finally said.

"Okay...?"

"Yeah, she's sick, she can't leave bed." _She's said too much_. He was learning too much about her family. Okay, that's it, no more offering up free information. She clamped her mouth shut after that.

"It's...no offense, it's a _terrible _system," Elliott seemed oblivious to her sudden silence. "No neutral parties, no mediators- you guys just do whatever the hell you want."

Helena loved talking shit about her country, she took great pride in doing so- but when _other_ people did it, it made her mad. She could do that because she lived there. The anger in her gut twisted, "Oh yeah? How do _you _Arendellans do things?"

"I have _advisors_, I don't go around asking _Andy _to make laws." He got that dark look on his face again, the gentle reminder that he _hated _her. "If he had it his way, there would be a national Chocolate Day."

"Maybe _Andy _should run the government," she shot back haughtily. The words came out easily, but it made something inside her ache. Oh how she'd hurt that boy, gods dammit. _Why _was she such a _shitty human being_-

Elliott's laugh surprised her, and it surprised him too, he caught himself almost immediately. The awkward second their eyes met made her face burn. The king cleared his throat and kicked the chair away, the discomfort clear on his body language. "W-Well. That's all. I certainly hope you have a good relationship with your sisters, seeing as your fate rests on their hands," he shook his head, still very disappointed in the S.I justice system.

"I'm dead, then," she muttered to herself, tension she hadn't realized was there got released as she lay back down. Helena wished she could sleep the next thousand years, and never ever wake up, like that German fairytale her sister Sophia read to her when they were little. And she wouldn't wake up, because there was no prince charming about to kiss her anytime soon.

Elliott paused at the door, "Pardon me?"

"Nothing, _my king_! Thank you for gracing me with your presence. Have a wonderful, _wonderful _night!" she waved as exaggeratedly as she could, blinking her long lashes at him. That effect was probably ruined by her black eye, but for now the fake politeness with hidden venom was all a girl had.

"Goodnight yourself, _sweet princess_." Elliott rolled his eyes with what she thought was the hint of a smile, and left.

When she was completely alone, and only then, is when she allowed herself to cry.

* * *

_**+++really long**_**, hopefully good chapter to start off this sequel and get to the speed of things. i loved writing this one, p fun stuff. i still need to figure out a few plot things, since i don't have the frozen script to guide me anymore, but it should be good.**

**++there was an interview w santino fontana (aka the voice of Hans) where he talked about a possible sequel to Frozen and Hans redemption and all the while i was rubbin my hands together like a fly kehehe because in another life, i wouldve probably shipped Helsa**

**+ please, if you liked this chapter leave a review, they do mean a lot and keep the story rolling, and as always thank you for reading!:)**


	3. Chapter 2

● Elliott ●

The next morning, after a night of fretful sleep, Elliott joined Andy in one of the small breakfast chambers. The dining hall was far more elegant, but it seated many people and there was only two of them, so they used the smaller room instead. Back when Elliott was _trying _to protect Andy, they sat in that long dining table, Elliott on one side and Andy on the other, and they ate in dull silence. In this small space though, they talked nonstop.

By the time he arrived Andy was halfway done with his breakfast of eggs and bacon, but he still wasn't dressed. Elliott asked for a coffee before joining his brother with his aggressive eating habits. The prince's face was decorated with more than one food.

"Should I ask for a bib?" Elliott teased, stealing some buttered toast from his brother's plate. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, he barely got any sleep after his little adventure last night. Instead of giving him peace of mind, the princess' words had made him restless. It just added to his already eternal list of worries.

Andy wiped at his face with the sleeve of his pajamas before snatching the toast back, "Very funny. Ha-ha."

His coffee arrived, and Elliott braced himself before taking a sip. He didn't even like the stuff. But it kept him awake, and he'd sort of become addicted to it. "You didn't wake me," Elliott said. His coffee was bitter. He poured an obscene amount of sugar and milk in an attempt to make it a little less bad.

"Figured you could use the beauty sleep," Andy said, piling even more breakfast onto his plate. Elliott smiled into his mug before trying the hot beverage again. "So how was your little midnight stroll?"

Elliott almost choked on his coffee. He was caught, Andy _knew_. How to explain? But when the king looked over at his brother, the latter hadn't even looked up, he was still busy cutting his eggs. No suspicion, no accusation flashed across Andy's face, and it made him feel a little guilty that it didn't even _cross _Andy's mind that he'd gone to see Helena.

Helena...

Now Elliott could see how his brother had fell for her. When he'd first met the princess in the ballroom a million years ago he'd been less than impressed. The moment she let her guard down and stopped being stubborn and arrogant, she was actually sort of nice- but he couldn't let five seconds of civil talk cloud his judgment. She was a great actress, after all.

'Your brother is dead. _Because of you_.'

Those chilling words made him squirm even now. He casually brushed Andy's elbow, a little reminder for himself that Andy was _here _and _well _and _alive_. Just that little reassuring touch gave him comfort. "I couldn't sleep," he half-lied.

He'd mulled over exactly _why _he'd gone- and he'd figured it out. He really didn't want anyone to die in account of him, like he'd almost killed the man back on the North Mountain. _Helena _had stopped him from doing that terrible thing. He probably wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he'd actually killed that man. He wondered, had his powers not snapped that very day, would things have been different? Would the princess have still acted the way she had? But Helena was not innocent. The princess had made choices, bad ones, and now she was going to have to face the consequences of those choices. She probably deserved everything she got. Probably. Right?

Andy rolled his eyes and as he shoveled another spoonful of eggs into his mouth, "If you don't wanna tell me the truth, fine. But we still have to do the next thing on the list."

"Fair enough," Elliott agreed quickly, eager to change the subject before Andy pressed him for details. "What is it?"

Andy opened his mouth to reply, giving Elliott an amazing view of chewed up eggs, but before he could, Kai came in and cut him off. "Your Grace, I'm sorry for interrupting," he said to Elliott. Then he addressed Andy, "My lord, Lady Krista is here to see you."

"I'm no Lady," Krista stepped into view, her face beet red at Kai's words. She was wearing a green summer dress, her blonde hair in twin braids. If possible, her face got even redder when she saw the two boys. Elliott looked down to the strip of chest that could be seen from the bathrobe he'd pulled on, and with his messy hair he probably didn't look very royal. Andy didn't look any better, in fact he probably looked worse. The mountain girl stepped back with clear mortification, "I could always come back later-"

"Oh, dang, I forgot!" Andy sprang to his feet, almost flipping over his plate of food in the process. "I forgot I told you to come early, sorry, sorry. I'll get dressed and we'll go," he glanced at Elliott with an apologetic smile, "I- I'd already made plans with Krista. We'll get on with the list later, yeah?"

Elliott nodded and leaned back on his chair, taking another hearty gulp of his coffee. How he hated the taste. "That's fine. I still have a load of paperwork to do. Yay." Paperwork _and _monitor every ship leaving and arriving to Arendelle. He didn't want any shady characters to try anything while it was so vulnerable.

Andy smirked at his brother's dry tone and went around the table towards Krista, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You stay right here, okay? I'll be quick as a bunny-" and he was gone, already stripping off his night shirt before he was even through the door.

Krista had smiled briefly at Andy's affectionate gesture, but now that they were alone, the girl was back to her shyness. Elliott felt a little anxious too, he wasn't used to just _having visitors_. It was easy with Andy, the love was there, they just had to get to know each other again. But strangers were different. He _wanted _to know Krista, she seemed like a nice girl, and Andy spoke _very _highly of her. He studied her silently over his mug of coffee, while her eyes were forever fixed on some spot on the ground.

She stood there awkwardly, Elliott still probably made her nervous. It occurred to him then how to ease some of the tension. Andy had told him what a big fan Krista had been of his ice palace back on the North Mountain. Oh, his ice palace... he wondered if it was still standing.

"Hey, Krista," he said, and immediately the girl's head lifted up. He flicked his wrist and a small flurry of snow shot out, which quickly changed shape into a reindeer, no bigger than his hand. He knew she was quite fond of those.

"Holy gods!" Krista looked delighted, a new spark of excitement in her eyes. The little snow reindeer galloped in the air and did a lap around the room before landing in front of the girl's feet. Krista's head followed it all the way, her face one of awe. Elliott smirked and, knowing _what_ an ice harvester probably preferred over snow, he froze the reindeer into a little sculpture. Krista reached for it, but then she stopped and drew her hand back, as if she'd been scolded.

"It's fine, you can take it," Elliott assured her. "It's for you."

Her face lit up again as she picked up the little sculpture in her hands, handling it like it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "Thank you, Your Grace. It's amazing."

He still felt uncomfortable when people complimented his curse- _magic_. When they complimented his _magic_. But at the same time he also felt incredibly flattered. "Thank _you_. You may call me Elliott, by the way."

"Okay, Your Gr- Elliott. Elliott," she amended quickly, testing out the words. He smiled in what he hoped was a friendly way, but he was so tired after last night it probably came out looking like a serial killer's smile. He rubbed at his eyes, the words of the Princess of the Southern Isles still bounded around in his thoughts. He cared way more than he should.

"I'm _ready_!" Andy burst in before things could get awkward again. He buttoned the last uneven button on his vest and looked between his brother and his... lady _friend_, with a confused smile. "You two getting along? _Oh_- Elliott, it looks like Suri!" he gushed at the little sculpture in Krista's hand. The ice was so fine it almost looked like glass.

"Just bonding over arts and crafts," Elliott smiled tiredly at the two. He didn't want Andy to have his heart broken- _again_- and so soon, but by looking at them, Elliott couldn't imagine how _that _could be possible. Andy still looked bedraggled and his hair was a mess, but the look on Krista's face when she looked at him radiated nothing but fondness. If they did in fact _officially _become a couple, Elliott wished them nothing but the best- just as long as Andy was a little more careful this time around.

Elliott picked at his breakfast, dreading the long and tedious day that awaited him. "Where are you two going, anyway?"

Krista blushed, "It's... um... we're just-"

"It's a _date_!" Andy said happily, he clasped her hand that wasn't holding the ice reindeer in his own before smiling at her, "We'll look at the preparations for the summer festival."

Elliott almost winced at the mention of the festival. There was no way they could afford those expenses. The king's meltdown had been an expensive one- he was still paying for all the crops that had died, all the ships that had been damaged- all the buildings. Arendelle was sturdy when it came to cold weather, but Elliott's magic had been pretty brutal on it. He didn't want to _cancel_ it either, the summer festival was always a fun time for everyone and gods knew his people needed it after his coronation disaster. He'd need to figure something out before the solstice. "Don't get into too much trouble," Elliott said dismissively, and he went back to sipping his coffee. Gods, the drink was so disgusting. The things he endured to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

Andy rolled his eyes at his brother. "You woke up packing all the jokes, didn't ya?" he tugged at Krista's hand, "Shall we go, my Lady?"

The sound of their bickering back and forth followed them out until Elliott was alone, alone with the murky brown substance sloshing inside his mug.

And he thought of his ice palace.

● Gibbs ●

"Your-Your m-majesty, we have received an urgent me-message from-from Arendelle!"

Queen Astrid slammed her cup of tea down so forcefully the fine china threatened to shatter with the impact. The flustered steward immediately clicked his heels to attention, a fine layer of sweat had already gathered on his brow. He probably was, as they said, _too old for this shit_. He doubled the queen in age, and yet here he was, her Majesty's faithful servant.

"Gibbs, _how _do I feel about stammering?" for a second he was paralyzed, too afraid to breathe, let alone answer. He'd dealt with this woman his whole life, and yet years later he was just as terrified of her as he'd been on day one. Maybe it was her harsh manner of speaking, or the piercing blue eyes, gods if he knew, but _something _about her always unnerved him. Maybe that's why she kept him around. After all, sometimes fear was better for loyalty than love.

"_Stammering is rude and for the illiterate_," he quoted her own words obediently, proud that he kept his voice didn't shake, his eyes never leaving hers. Her Majesty liked being looked in the eye, unlike some royals he knew. Maybe she thought it was a sign of respect, maybe a challenge- all that mattered was, don't advert your eyes unless she does.

Lady Madeleine, or Maddy, how she preferred to be called, snickered. She was second in line to the Southern Isles, younger than the queen herself by barely a year. They'd always been close, with a bit of a rivalry between them. They could have been twins, but where Astrid had a mane of blonde hair, her younger sister had inherited their mother's dark auburn color. That and... Maddy had a facial scar, a _big _distinctive one. It was thin but deep, no amount of makeup could hide it, it runs from the bottom of her eye all the way to her chin. She'd never said how she got it, and none of the staff knew. _Obviously _no one dared to ask. It was almost taboo to talk about. Just like you must always look Astrid in the eye when you spoke to her, an important thing to do in the presence of Lady Madeleine: do _not _look at the scar. Look at her eyes, her lips, even her _chest_- but keep your eyes away from the left side of the Lady's face. As far as Gibbs knew, only Maddy and Astrid knew the story behind the ugly mark.

Lady Maddy had always been the sneakier of the two, every time something bad happened to Astrid heads always turned to look at the second daughter. And why not? Without Astrid, Maddy would be the next queen. Astrid kept her sister on a close leash- maybe they had an unspoken agreement, _if you kill me, you'll wish it was you who'd died instead_. Astrid was capable of those kinds of threats. He often wondered if she had anything to do with her sister's scarred face. Of course there were rumors, but nothing he believed. The butcher claimed that such a mark could only have been caused by a knife. The stableboy swore a dragon had done it. Again, nothing but rumors.

The Westergard family made him uneasy in general, from the eldest to the youngest, it had always been a very troubled family. But he'd been there from the start, he'd served their Lady Mother and he'd serve her children until he died. Or until they got rid of him. Staff changed all the time around here, especially the men.

"Good, good. Now, what's that you were mumbling?" she raised the cup to her lips, and shifted her eyes away to stare out the window at the sea. Gibbs relaxed ever so slightly, having those cold eyes on him made his skin crawl. She'd looked away first, so it was safe to talk.

"A message. From Arendelle," his words were strained, trying to keep the stammer in check. The bird that had delivered it was a fine, sleek creature made for speed, the kind bred for urgent messages. Ninety percent of the time these types of birds died making the journey. Their hearts often gave up, the poor dears. But they _always _delivered the message as fast as possible. The snowy bird that had arrived bearing the Arendelle colors died shortly after delivering. He didn't trust himself to read the message without stammering, so he simply offered the scroll with his sweaty hand.

Lady Maddy took it from him, a lazy smirk on her lips that many of her siblings shared. _That_ signature smirk that made you think they knew a secret that you didn't. The thirteen were so similar, yet so different it was amazing how they'd come out of the same parents- _well_...

Except for the bastards.

Gibbs still remembered their late king legitimizing his two bastard daughters just to spite his queen. Girls number six and twelve did not share the same mother as the rest, but they still got all the titles and privileges, were raised in the same household. Sometimes their votes weren't as valid when the Council of Thirteen gathered, but that was about the only difference between them and the 'pureborn.' Gibbs remembered almost too clearly the sheer _fury_ on the late queen's face after her husband claimed those two girls.

Their fool king didn't live very long after that. His wife was suspected, but _of course_ nothing could be proved on who poisoned the king's wine. Same as when _she _died and Astrid took the throne, the mysterious death was left that: a mystery. She died too soon, Gibbs thought. Helena had still been a little girl when her mother had died, and it had affected her a lot. Many of her sisters were proper grown ladies by then, some even married, and they did not need their mother anymore- but Helena had. Luckily Lady Katherine sort of took her little sister under her wing for some time after the death. But a few sisters and a lot of servants didn't equal a parent.

Lady Maddy broke the seal of wax with her thumb, her eyes moved left and right quite fast as she read the message. Gibbs tried not to stare at her moving eyes, in fear that she'd think he was actually looking at the scar. Her usually laidback face changed gradually, from mild interest to shock and back to neutral. Queen Astrid's eyes were still focused on the window, but when she spoke it was her sister she addressed, "_Well_?"

The princess laid the paper on the table between them, her face was back into a mask. "Little Lena's got herself into some trouble." Gibbs felt like it had been _years _ since someone had called the youngest princess _Lena_. Only Maddy and a couple others still did that.

"Helena?" Queen Astrid snapped out of her trance of looking out the window. She often did that, get lost in her own thoughts and forget she was with company. "_Our_ Helena?"

"No, the gardener's daughter," Lady Maddy shot back sarcastically. Gibbs was familiar with the cruel 'joke' the girls had played on their youngest sibling for years. Pretending she was the gardener's child, handing her shears and throwing mud at her clothes. He'd heard the young princess crying in her room more than once. It made his heart ache, but what could fat little Gibbs do to stop it? The very few times a servant had tried to intervene in the personal business of these girls it was the last time they were seen.

She had the queen's attention, Gibbs could tell. He stood awkwardly, not sure if he was dismissed or if he was meant to stay. If they wanted him gone they could just say so, but it seemed they had both forgotten he was standing right there. He decided to stay and listen, if it was all the same to them. The Westergard sisters weren't easy to love, but Helena had been kind to him in general- sure, her sisters had corrupted her, but she wasn't the _worst _of them. No, the spot for the **worst **was a constant dispute between Lady Cristina and Lady Rowena. Gods, those girls came straight from _hell_.

Astrid regarded the paper with the same bored expression she always had on when reading any sort of document put in front of her. This time though- this time her face changed. The queen's jaw clenched and she crumpled the paper in her hand- Gibbs jumped a little when said paper was shoved at his chest. Not completely forgotten, then. "Leave us," the queen all but snarled.

"Y-Yes Your Majesty," Gibbs hesitated at the door, "What shall I do with the message?"

"Burn it," Queen Astrid's eyes were _livid_. "Burn it to hell."

* * *

**+++ i rly want elliott and krista to be ice bros is that obvious**

**++ Anyone else get the Mufasa/Scar vibe with these two? i didnt notice until my friend read it and told me lol not intentional i promise. I decided to go with the servant 'Gibbs' perspective before you get into one of their heads, just to get a superficial/view from the outside. the next chapter you'll get to see the train of thought of one of them.**

**+ if there's any confusion, you can look at the first 'chapter' and see the chart, it's been updated. i'm probably gonna post on saturdays, but i posted this one a lil early as a huge THANK YOU to all the reviews the last chapter got. they make me very happy :)**

**thank u for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3

● Maddy ●

"You don't look pleased," was Maddy's smart remark once the sweaty and oafish steward had left. Gibbs was a good man, easy to manipulate and even easier to keep quiet, qualities the Westergard girls found very important. He was competent enough, and Maddy liked having him around. He was old and not the sharpest tool in the shed, so none of her slutty sisters wished to share a bed with him, which was also good. It was tiring having to fire attractive male servants just because some of her sisters were like dogs in heat.

The Queen's chambers were spacious and _very _luxurious. It had plenty of windows thanks to the amazing view that overlooked the sea and the rocky shore, the curtains were probably never drawn in this lit up room. Maddy currently occupied the King's chambers, she could because she was second in line and Astrid was not married so no one else was using them. The King's chambers weren't as _nice _in her opinion, a lot darker than this sun-bathed room, but she couldn't complain to Astrid or anyone really. At least it was better than the room she'd shared with Astrid for _years_, but her sister was never too far away; the Queen's chambers and the King's were connected by a bathroom.

Astrid placed down her cup of tea on the table, making it _clink _loudly. One of these days the cup would break and Maddy would laugh till the end of her days. Her sweet sister was altered, an unusual sight and one she immensely enjoyed. "_Of course _I'm not pleased! You read the damn letter, did you not?"

Laughing in her face would spell D-O-O-M, so Maddy kept the bubbling laughter to herself. But having Astrid this angry was so _rare_, such a _precious _thing she wanted to enjoy every second of it. Few things made Astrid loose her cool, and who would have thought little Lena's latest adventure would be one of them?

Growing up she hadn't paid all that much attention to the youngest of her sisters, she never had. Around the time the sixth one was born she'd sort of stopped caring. Helena had been but a pink little baby the first time Maddy had got a look at her, a silly drooling baby not worth her attention. Maddy had been almost a woman grown when the thirteenth sister was born. And then she grew into this aggressive little girl, who spent far too much time with manly Katherine for her own good. _Oh_, and the '_gardener's daughter_' joke they had going on for _two years_. Rowena was the mastermind behind it, but Maddy had just sort of gone along with it like everyone else. She was a horse freak, too. That's pretty much all she knew about the girl.

Cecile claimed there was more to her than that, but Cecile was _insane_ and listening to all her random babbling always left Maddy with a headache. If Cecile had been right in the head, maybe her and Astrid could have formed a little clique of them three- they were the three oldest, after all. But Cecile was crazy and Astrid was Astrid, so her 'alliance' dreams were for naught. It was every sister on her own, pretty much. Except for the two sets of twins, they had that _special _bond of sharing the womb or whatever nonsense. The two bastards also got along well with the ones close in age to them, she knew Lena to be close with Johanna.

"Yes, but I don't get what you're so worked up about?" Maddy picked up a biscuit from the untouched tray Gibbs had brought them earlier. Every Tuesday was tea-party-of-two-with-Astrid, it was her sister's passive-aggressive way of reminding her who was in charge, that if she tried _anything _to hurt Astrid or take her throne she'd pay dearly for it. The permanent reminder on her face was enough, she thought bitterly. Looking at the ugly scar on the mirror everyday was _enough_. But Astrid was Astrid. "We'll pay that silly king to get her back, Lena will plead for his forgiveness, all that tedious stuff. _Then _you can marry her off to that gross fifty-year-old baron and she should die a happy lady."

Astrid's eyes were two glaciers as they bore into Maddy's. It was a look she was used to, but one she did not like. It was scary. It reminded her of Rowena, and even if that sister of hers was years younger, it still made her uneasy. "I'm afraid you ought to check those eyes of yours, _sweet sister_." Oh, boy, it was the _cold-bitch _tone Astrid liked to use before unleashing hell upon the listener. The _sweet sister_ just made it more dangerous. "You see, they're not asking for a _ransom_. They are demanding a trial."

At Maddy's silence, Astrid continued, "It appears Helena tried to kill not only the _king_, but also his brother, the _prince_."

Maddy met her sister's cold look meekly, with the biscuit between her fingers, "Didn't she _go _to a coronation? Are we talking about _that_?"

"Yes, we sent her as a representative of the Isles... the letter provides no details of _exactly_ what happened. They are asking for someone to go and- well, _get her_." Astrid was gone again, her blue eyes fixed on the window behind Maddy. She didn't like it when her sister got all thoughtful like that. It usually spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E. _Lena _had got into _trouble_. Why would she do such a thing? Maddy knew better than trying to seize a kingdom by force, boy did she know. What pushed the freaky horse girl to do a thing like this? Maybe she wasn't that freaky horse girl anymore, Maddy realized. Lena was eighteen now, how easy she forgot. She wasn't the same little girl she once knew. Everyone called her _Helena_ now, her proper full name. "It will be _very _interesting to hear what happened," Astrid said in that same empty tone she used when her mind was elsewhere.

"Indeed," Maddy nibbled on the biscuit, suddenly not as hungry anymore, Astrid's heavy brooding seeped it out of her. It was like talking to a wall when she got like this. She got unresponsive, and when she did speak it felt like she was talking to herself. Poor Gibbs for having to deal with her, serve her all the damn time.

"Question is..." Astrid returned just as fast as she'd been gone, her blue eyes fixed on Maddy's, with her hands folded across her lap, "Who do we send?"

"Not me," Maddy felt like a kid again, saying '_not it!_', back when she and her siblings actually played games. It was usually Sonja who said it last, and she ended up being _it_. "And obviously not you, Your Majesty. You're _ever so important_ here," she hoped Astrid was still gone enough to not detect the last bit of sarcasm.

"Let's see, who's available- or close by Arendelle... so far up north," Astrid wrinkled her nose in distaste. That's why they'd sent Lena. Even if it was June, nobody wanted to go so far from home, but the thirteenth princess had volunteered _very _eagerly. For her assassination plans, was it? Gods only knew what she had intended, if this was just a big misunderstanding or _what_.

"I think Cristina's nearby," Maddy said indifferently, she even casually picked at her nails for effect. But inside she was grinning. She only wanted to provoke Astrid, see what she would say to _that_. The difference between the twins was amazing- Sonja was this pretty girl with nothing but air inside her head, while Cristina was an attack dog in disguise.

"I didn't know you hated Helena _that _much," Astrid said dryly, un-amused by the suggestion as expected. It would be like sending the royal executioner with axe in hand, free to rampage on foreign land.

"_Weeell_, you asked _me _who was nearby," she shrugged innocently, and smirked at her _one and only_ older sister, something none of the others could say. "I simply answered you truthfully."

Astrid shot her a look that could wilt flowers, and it only made her smile wider. She took a bite out of the biscuit, while Astrid rubbed her temples in annoyance, "In all seriousness, Maddy. _Who _do we send?"

"Let's just send a servant with some bribing money or whatever. Why does it have to be one of us?" Seriously, she was sure _all _sisters had better things to do than rush off and save Lena from whatever mess she got into. They could even send Gibbs, maybe the Arendellans would take pity on his lame self and let their little sister go.

Astrid was still not amused, and she let her know by intensifying her already very intimidating glare. "They are _specifically _asking for one of us. Preferably me. It literally feels like you did not read the letter." Maddy shrugged at that. She'd never been good at reading comprehension. All she'd gathered from the message was _Helena, trial, immediately_. "Arendelle does not need our money, either. They are a rich kingdom and- _gods dammit_, why did Helena have to go and fuck with them? I swear if they break off relations with us _because of her_-" she slammed down her fist on the table, making the cup she left there rattle. As always, the cup endured.

"We don't know _what happened_, calm down. Maybe it's a big misunderstanding. Do you _think _Lena capable of murder?" Maddy was looking into Astrid's eyes, because you were _always _supposed to do that, but where she really wanted to look at was the tea cup. The one Astrid always manhandled but never seemed to break. How could something so fragile endure so much?

Astrid scoffed and broke eye contact to pick up her cup of tea once more. Now Maddy was free to inspect the thing for any chipping, any cracks- but the cup looked as good as new. Did Astrid put an unbreakable spell on it or something? "I think _every single one of you_ capable of murder," the Queen said, none-too kindly. She paused for a second, before adding, "Well. Maybe not Sonja. Or Johanna- but the rest of you, _absolutely_."

"You wound me," Maddy said, with a hand over her heart. But her sister was not lying. All Westergard girls had that- that _thing_, that _thing _it took to kill. Not many people were born with it, some grew into it- she pictured the faces of her sisters, all different and yet so similar. Yes, she thought. They are capable of taking a life. From the oldest- she almost smiled at Astrid. To the youngest- and she got a little sad, thinking about Lena. It was a little tragic, truth be told.

Astrid had the cup close to her lips, but she was not drinking it. Her eyes were vacant again, in deep thought. At least she was not looking out the window this time. She wasn't completely gone again, she started to speak slowly, in a wondering tone. "Do you remember King Adgar?" the way she said it, one would think she was talking to herself.

Maddy didn't _feel _like she was being addressed, but she answered all the same. "The old King of Arendelle, wasn't he? The one that died at sea with his wife?"

"Three years ago," Astrid said, her eyes still blank, the cup of tea still hovering near her lips but not touching them. "And now his son is king... King _Elliott_," Maddy remembered the elegant signature at the bottom of the letter. Yes, the new King of Arendelle was Elliott. Maddy didn't care about him, he was like half her age. Probably twenty one, since he'd just been crowned. Barely a man grown. Astrid lowered the cup, not having touched it once. Her icy eyes landed on Maddy's bewildered ones. "I don't know a damn _thing _about this Elliott. Why is that?"

Maddy shrugged because, hell if she knows. She cared little about other countries that weren't her own. "They closed the gates of Arendelle like ten years ago? Maybe Elliott was sickly?" Trying to hide a sick heir was not unheard of.

Astrid chewed her lip, a habit Maddy thought her sister had dropped years ago. These news had _really _rattled something in her sister, and it was both unnerving and delicious to watch. "I knew everything about Adgar." True, Astrid liked to keep tabs on every powerful country that could potentially be a threat. "But I know nothing of this Elliott, other than the fact that he is now king and that blood of mine tried to murder him." _Oh_, yes, Astrid _loathed _not knowing things. It bothered her to no end and it brought Maddy great pleasure to watch her sister not have the upper hand for once.

"There's something fishy going on," Maddy offered, tiring of their conversation quickly. She had better things to do, and tea-party-of-two-with-Astrid was among her least favorite activities. Ever since Mother had died, Astrid took it upon herself to shoulder the responsibility of caring for all the other sisters in her cold sort of way, she didn't exactly _love _them, but if someone threatened a member of her family Astrid could be vicious to protect them. She suspected their beloved queen _may _have a soft spot for Lena, being the youngest and all.

Astrid stood up abruptly, almost bumping her knee against the table. She walked over to the window, clasping her hands together, "I _will _find out who this Elliott clown is. I want to know _everything_ there is to know about the new King of Arendelle."

"Have fun doing that," Maddy said, raising her almost empty cup in a _cheers _fashion. Their meeting seemed to be coming to an end, it seemed. Good, Maddy didn't have the patience to tolerate another hour of her Majesty's brooding. She was a pain in the-

Maddy almost dropped the cup when she felt her sister's cold fingers on the left side of her face. The queen trailed the thin line of her scar, from eye to chin, unbearably slow. She hadn't seen her _move_. The younger girl froze immediately, feeling violated to her core. Literally _no one _was allowed to do _that_. Even Maddy herself avoided touching it as much as possible, her husband was strictly forbidden of touching that side of her face. The last time Astrid had touched the scar, had ran her fingers down the skin- it had been the day she got it, all those years ago.

"I hope this stunt Helena tried to pull has not given _you _any... _ideas_," Astrid dragged her fingernail down to Maddy's jaw and gripped her chin with two fingers. She tilted the girl's head up, forcing her to look into the queen's icy eyes, "Hm, Madeleine?" her voice was soft, bordering on a hiss. It spelled D-A-N-G-E-R.

"It- _of course not_! I would never-" Maddy jerked her face away, so shaken up by her sister's actions she felt tears pricking at her eyes. She looked up at Astrid's face, and instead of seeing the middle-aged woman that her sister was, she saw the young self again, with her golden hair and dangerous eyes. That girl whose shadow she'd lived under her whole life. Maddy stood up as well and backed away towards the door. "I would never betray you, Astrid. You... you _know _that," _you made sure of _that. She felt like Gibbs when the clumsy words fell out of her mouth.

"Do I, Maddy?" Astrid was blatantly staring at the scar now. The reminder of _what happened _if you messed with the ruler of the Southern Isles. Maddy almost shuddered remembering the moment she got it, the words her sister had uttered before dragging that knife down her face. _A permanent lesson_.

Maddy gingerly put a hand over it, shame pooling in her gut. She hadn't felt this bad about her scar in _years_. The illusion of Astrid's younger self lasted a couple more seconds, before she was back to her graying-hair self. But those blue eyes had never dulled, never lost the cruel glint, they remained as bright as ever. She was still that blonde demon who thought she could conquer the world from all those years ago. The regular, almost forty-year-old Astrid smirked before looking away, back at the window, "You may go, sweet sister."

She'd shown weakness in front of Astrid, and it was going to cost her. Even after all those years, the damn scar still had a huge impact on her, and Astrid knew it. The bitch probably _relished _on knowing the effect it had, just how badly one touch affected her. To make things worse, now Astrid felt threatened by her because of what Helena did- _tried _to do. Things Astrid felt threatened by didn't last very long. "What are you going to do?" Maddy ground out, forcing her hand away from covering her scarred face.

"First I'll find out more about this King Elliott. _Then_ I shall send my reply, depending on what I find out." Astrid's eyes shifted back to meet hers. "And _then_ I'll send one of our own with terms."

"Who are you sending to Arendelle?"

Astrid smiled sweetly, and in a very Cecile-like way, she said, "Wouldn't you like to know."

● Andy ●

They made it halfway across the bridge before Krista realized someone was following them.

They crossed the _actual open gates_- Andy still wasn't used to it, they had been closed for so long, having them open was almost surreal. He could come and go as he pleased. Everyone else, too, seemed to be enjoying the open gates. Elliott's ice rink from the Great Thaw was still standing to provide some entertainment before the summer festival, so the people of the village got to enjoy the winter activity in June. You'd think the people of Arendelle would be sick of ice and snow, but they weren't.

Some of them, Krista had told him, still didn't believe half of what had happened. Their king? The one that had been a shy little prince, with magic? No way. It must've been one big illusion, they said. The fjord frozen in the middle of the summer? A trick. Snowmen coming to life? Trick.

Elliott would convince the nonbelievers eventually. There weren't many, but the snide comments he sometimes caught when walking by always made Andy angry. What other proof of his brother's magic could they want? Seriously.

A few guests from his brother's coronation still remained in Arendelle, they were going to stay for the festival. Most of them had left the second their ships were ready to sail, they hadn't been big fans of the early winter. Andy knew Elliott was worried about what word they'd bring back to their countries- would they see Elliott's power as a threat? A weapon? It made him nervous to think about.

Andy hadn't been to last year's summer festival. He'd seen the traditional fireworks from his window, but that was it. He didn't go to any food stands, or to any live music- he'd stayed at the palace with Elliott. Back when his brother had kept his distance. Andy had recently found out Elliott's power was greatest when a solstice was near- summer, winter, it didn't matter the season. Elliott had explained that's probably why he'd been able to create things like the Blizzard Dragon.

"_And the rest of the year?_" Andy had asked.

"_I don't know, this was the first time that I've... _done _something like this._" Had been Elliott's answer. Which Andy guessed was true, it was unlikely Elliott had got the chance to experiment much with his powers before Andy had short of pushed him to reveal them for the world to see.

He hadn't told Elliott that he knew the... well, the truth. About the accident from years ago. The truth that he'd forced out of Krista, the old memories that had come back to him only after being... frozen alive. Andy hoped Elliott would _tell _him himself, when he was ready. Andy would wait. The prince had _also _had not told him about seeing his parents while being, again, _frozen alive_. He was probably going to keep that one to himself. He still didn't know if it was real, or if his dying mind had just made it up.

The last thing he wanted was more lies and stuff between them, but it _was _a delicate situation. But Andy was confident they'd get there, eventually. Maybe with tortoise steps, but _they would get there_-

"We're being followed," Krista mumbled from the corner of her mouth, pulling Andy out of his thoughts. The way she said it, he felt like they were on one of those spy novels he liked to read. Actually, it'd be _very fun_ if he and Krista were spies, if they went on missions and stuff? He wondered how the ice harvester would feel about running along the rooftop of the palace, swinging from one window to the other. It'd be so _cool_. Andy grinned at the idea.

He couldn't tell if she was playing or being serious, so he spoke out of the corner of his mouth as well and avoided glancing her way. "How many?"

They rounded the corner of the bridge and Andy saw her risking a glance behind them. She quickly faced the front again, "Just one."

Andy frowned, "Is it General W? Is he playing _chaperone _again? Because I _specifically told him_-"

Faster than he thought humanly possible, Krista tackled him behind a lettuce stand, which caused the cat that had been napping there to hiss and bolt away. He would have complained that she broke his back by doing that, but she'd landed on top of him, both of her hands pressed against his chest, which was not bad at all. A broken coccyx was the last of his concerns with Krista's body pressed against his. They were hidden behind the table stand, and had a good view of all the people passing around.

"That one," Krista whispered. To Andy's disappointment, she rolled off him and peeked over the lettuces, "The blond man."

Andy kneeled next to her behind the vegetables, scanning the crowd for their stalker. He was easy to spot: long, shaggy hair and a thick beard. He was so tanned, he didn't look from around these parts. The man suddenly looked lost, he kept getting on his tiptoes to crane his neck above the crowd, looking for something. _Looking for them_.

Andy's heart was beating faster than what was probably healthy. Lately it had been doing that, working overtime, it felt like. Maybe it didn't want to be frozen again, so it kept moving, _thump_, _thump_, _thump_. Andy slid back down against the stand. "How do you know he was following _us_?"

"He was," Krista narrowed her eyes at the man before sliding down next to him. "Jon told me that a foreigner asked around for me."

Jon, Jon... the name was familiar. _Ah_, the man that was Krista's friend, the fisherman. He lived on the village, they had been to his house the day the Meltlings had invaded it, the day General Winter had stayed behind to stop them. _That _Jon. He'd been trapped inside his house because of Elliott's ice storm.

"Foreigner? What does he want with you?"

"I don't know." But maybe Krista _did _know. She was biting her lip, probably a thousand thoughts ran through her head from the worried look on her face. Andy grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, let her know that whatever it was she could tell him. Her bubble of thought popped with that, and she gave him a nervous smile. "It's- I'm just- he's probably nothing, Andy." Obviously, _it was something _and it _did _matter.

Andy's eyes widened, "Really? 'Cause he's standing _right behind us_."

"_Shit_-" Krista instinctively moved backwards like she'd been burned, the sudden action caused her to bang her head against the stand; thus causing an avalanche of green produce to rain down on top of her head.

It took the prince two seconds to process what had just happened.

Andy roared with laughter, picking off green leaves off Krista's head with a shaky hand. The blonde was pouting in annoyance and embarrassment. The prince was still laughing when Krista's pout transformed into a glare; but she looked too cute to be taken seriously. She picked up one of the offending vegetables from her lap and threw it at him, but it just bounced harmlessly off his chest as he continued to laugh.

"You- you look like- like a baby troll that- oh, _gods_," Andy twirled the leaf between his fingers, wheezing with effort. He hadn't laughed that hard in a while.

"Bulda will be so _glad_ to hear that I _finally_ resemble my family," Krista made a face, referencing Pewter, the little baby troll Andy had met when he'd first met her family. The green patch of grass on his stone head _did _look similar to the blonde's leafy-situation. Krista's dry tone only made Andy laugh harder.

After another second of full-on glare from the ice harvester, Krista finally cracked a smile. And then she giggled, Andy's laugh more contagious than the flu. _And then_ she snorted, which in turn caused _Andy _to almost cry from just the sheer happiness he felt. It's what he'd wanted, what he'd so desperately needed after so many years of solitude; someone to laugh with at stupid things, talk about everything and nothing, just... _gods, Krista_.

"Hello?"

Out of reflex, Andy shot up to his feet, he whipped around to face the customer that had arrived at the stand. Now that he thought better of it, the owner of it was nowhere in sight. It probably looked like Andy was in charge.

"Um. Hello." Andy said awkwardly, brushing off a stray leaf that had landed on his shoulder. He could only imagine how he looked; teary eyes and face red, random chunks of lettuce here and there. He was quite the sophisticated prince. His eyes widened when he realized who the customer was.

It was that man, the supposed stalker, with his blond hair now in a ponytail. He was maybe in his mid-forties, but his weathered face made him look _way_ older. His eyes were dark brown, a sort of cool contrast to his darkish skin and light hair. He was holding a squirming cat in his arms... the cat that had been napping behind the stand before Krista and Andy startled it. Did the man just kinda chase it all around the village or?

Suddenly Andy felt nervous. "W-whatever it is you're selling, we don't want it," he sensed Krista starting to rise beside him, but he pressed his hand against her head, keeping her down. _It's the stalker, stay there, stay hidden_! If this _were _a spy novel, they'd probably be dead.

"'_We'_?" the man raised a thick brow, and Andy made a choking sound. _Yes, they would be very dead if this were a novel_. Krista didn't appreciate being pushed down, so with even more force she sprang up, sending leftover lettuce flying everywhere. _Crap_.

Krista shoved a finger at his chest, "_Why were you pushing me_-"

"Krista?" the man smiled, and Krista froze. Almost in slow-motion, she turned her head to face the man. "Krista Bjorgman?"

When the blonde did not react, Andy gently lowered Krista's finger which was still raised and digging painfully into his chest. "Krista?"

"Idon'tknowyou," she blurted out, so fast he barely made out the words. _Plain_ recognition flashed across her face, but not the good kind. Andy felt a pang of dislike towards the strange man, Krista almost looked afraid. She ducked out of the stand and ran for it.

"_Krista_!" Andy called, but she didn't turn, didn't stop. The prince gave the bearded and confused-looking man a pointed look, "You stay here, you- _don't you go anywhere_!" and he was already tripping over his feet, in pursue of his soon-to-be-more-than just a friend.

* * *

**+++ I was channeling Cersei Lannister when writing astrid, if ur familiar with game of thrones u know what i was sort of going for.**

**++So apparently the names of Elsa's and Anna's parents are ****King Adgar and Queen Idun, so that's gonna be the name of Elliott's and Andy's parents :)**

**+ i have final exams, so maybe i won't update for a lil bit but i'll do my best to do so**

**thank you for reading!:)**


	5. Chapter 4

● Krista ●

Maybe running away hadn't been a very smart move on her part.

Her legs weren't all that long, she was not built for speed. She was still sore from running across the frozen fjord to meet with Andy, only for him to turn the other way and do the most selfless act in history. She'd been so sore, none of Pabbie's herbs had improved her condition, and the bitter taste of some of them had made her grumpy. Andy was no athlete either, but she could her him close behind; calling her name, begging her to stop.

But if she stopped, she'd have to explain, and if she explained, she'd have to- have to face _him_. She had no desire to speak to Axel ever again, and that man had some _nerve_, some gods damn nerve to show his face around here again after all these _years_. _Ask _for her, gods. What made him think she'd want to see him?

She barely managed to get around a large barrel some boys were rolling between them two. Behind her, she heard the slap of Andy's feet against the cobblestone as he'd probably _jumped over _the barrel. She heard the shrieks of alarm from the boys, so yes, Andy had indeed leapt over the barrel.

The crowd of people thinned as she was leaving the main square, luckily she hadn't crashed into anyone, the decorations for the summer festival were fewer and it just felt less claustrophobic. Far ahead she could see the glittering sea.

"_Krista_!"

_You're being ridiculous_, she imagined Suri's goofy voice inside her head. If the reindeer were present and could speak, it was very likely she'd be saying that. _And unreasonable._

You _are being ridiculous_, she argued back. Which was stupid, because in the end, she was arguing with herself. She was telling _herself _how ridiculous she was being. But it didn't matter, just as long as-

The end of the dock.

Krista dug her heels in, trying to stop herself from falling over the edge and into the water below. But she'd been going too fast and the momentum was there, she was going to fall in-

"_Krista_!" strong hands grabbed her waist and stopped her from falling. Then they yanked back, and the two of them landed on their butts, making the blanks below them groan. The wood had probably been damaged during Elliott's storm, and they would have to be replaced. "You want me to go into cardiac arrest?" Andy looked more baffled than angry, and Krista felt her ears burn with embarrassment. "_What _was _that _all about?" he gestured behind them at the disaster Krista's pathetic fleeing had caused. She noticed for the first time that they'd somehow managed to overturn a cart of supplies for the festival and also knocked down a man from a ladder who had been trying to pin up banners, he was hanging by his arms from a ledge.

She mumbled a curse and climbed to her feet "We should help him-"

"He's gonna be fine," Andy pointed at two other people below that were already putting the ladder back into place. He stood up as well and placed a hand on her bicep, a silent _don't run_. "You know what's _not_ gonna be fine?" Krista searched his green eyes, trying to tell whether he was angry. "What's _not _gonna be fine is my mental health, and the physical one, _and _the emotional-"

"I'm sorry I ran," she smacked his hand as the playful smile finally spread across his face. She couldn't help but return it. He wasn't angry. Andy really wasn't letting anything get him down, after- _well_. But she knew, if he kept bottling things up the boy was going to burst someday. To her knowledge Andy had only snapped _once_, during the coronation party when Elliott had refused to bless the marriage with Helena. Also when he'd yelled at her back on the mountain, that crippling second of insecurity the prince had had; when she'd comforted him. When she realized he wasn't just some bratty prince, but a honest guy with a heart of gold.

Krista had wondered more than once, what would have happened if Elliott had blessed the marriage? If Andy and Helena had got married, if Elliott's power hadn't been unleashed. _If, if, if_. Andy surely wouldn't be in her life then...

"I just..." she adverted her eyes, "I didn't want to... he... _his name is Axel_." the words came out easier than she'd expected, but they still left a bitter taste in her mouth. Like Pabbie's 'healing' herbs.

"Axel," Andy echoed. Then he frowned. "Axel?"

Krista rubbed her arm, still not meeting the prince's eyes. "He, uh... he is my uncle."

"Your uncle!" Andy smiled, like it was a good thing. When Krista's face remained with a pained expression, the smile melted. He placed a finger on her cheek and gently turned it so she'd face him. She'd never been good at dealing with people face-to-face. Trolls were so short they didn't care if you looked their way, and the other ice harvesters communicated with a series of grunts and cursing, and they didn't ask for constant eye contact. Not like Andy did. He probably did that to read her emotions easier. "Oh... so you- your uncle- he doesn't- the trolls, he-"

"He doesn't live with me, no," Krista said, the bitterness in her mouth overflowing to the sentence. "He didn't take me in when my parents- he didn't-" she stomped her foot in frustration, making the weather-damaged planks creak. "He doesn't care about me. I don't know _why _he's here, why _now_."

Saying that reminded Krista of cold nights and even colder soup in someone else's home. It reminded her of only having a furry quadruple as family for a long time. It reminded her of a destroyed cabin and an orphaned little girl. Of a letter saying, _I'm not meant to be a father. I am sorry. I will visit as often as_- Krista's thoughts practically sizzled remembering the words. Words of abandonment.

"He doesn't live in Arendelle," the Prince was half asking it, half trying to place the pieces together by himself. "He must've arrived, like, today since the fjord isn't frozen anymore and all." Andy pursed his lips in confusion, "It must be urgent... Elliott isn't allowing many ships in, in case an undercover Southern Isles person tries to break out Hel-_Helena_," Andy blushed when he stammered over the word, and it made Krista's heart clench, made her momentarily forget her annoyance at her absent uncle.

_Helena _was another issue. One that constantly tormented Andy, although he probably wouldn't admit it out loud. Perhaps not even to himself. But she saw it on his face, plain as day. Krista couldn't wait for those southern people to come pick up their murderous sibling. One of the sisters of the princess was supposed to come, but there were _twelve _of them, _twelve _other Helenas. Were they all the same? Totally different? Or was Helena the black sheep?

_No_. Where you grow up, it defines you. In the long run, it's where you're raised that makes you who you are. The people around you shape you, influence you, they- _gods_, _what the hell _was Helena raised by? Some _chupacabras_? What made her be this way? It was _so _tempting to just stomp over to the girl's cell and demand answers. What did you do to Andy? _Why _did you do it? Krista would most likely never get the chance to ask, so she didn't care to give the princess another second to be in her thoughts. The sooner she left the better.

Krista sighed and hugged her sides, leaning over Andy and placing her head on his shoulder, "I don't wanna see him..."

Andy wrapped an arm around her, "I understand, but- he's standing right there."

The blonde flared her nostrils, tempted to push the prince away, but the embrace was too nice to let go of. "If you think I'm falling for _that _again-"

"Krista, may we talk?"

Krista disentangled herself from Andy and shot a surprised look at Axel. Her dead mother's brother. Standing right there, with the gray tabby cat still in his arms. So casual it made her insides twist. It looked like he hadn't aged a year since she'd last seen him, which was more than a decade ago. "You left this behind," he said, and from some back pocket she couldn't see he pulled out the little ice reindeer Elliott had gifted her that very morning. She hesitated, _now _she had nowhere to run. Behind her was only water, and in front of her was the man that had practically turned his back on her.

Drowning in the water felt like the most appealing of her options.

● Elliott ●

"Queen Astrid won't take kindly to you keeping her sister hostage."

"Oh, _please_," Elliott winced as the woman fixing his newest suit poked him with yet another needle. He stood on a stool with his arms stretched out like a scarecrow, which hurt a little bit because his shoulder still hurt from where that Sandlane man had shot him with a crossbow. "She's hardly a hostage. We're treating her _way _better than she deserves-" he almost yelped when the measuring tape slithered around his neck, ticking him and startling him. "_Edna_!"

Edna Mode, the foreign woman he'd hired for this very task of a new outfit looked up sharply at him with her beady black eyes, hidden behind thick rimmed glasses. His coronation outfit had been one of his best, and it had somehow disappeared under the ice one he'd created for himself, so he got the best he could to replace it. Edna was famous from Corona to Milan, the woman was short, around General Winter's height and carried just about the same attitude as the snowman.

"If you'd stop squirming, this would be a lot simpler, darling," she jumped down from the even taller stool she had to use to reach the king's tall self. He didn't mind that she addressed him that way, it was just how she was. The short woman had a needle between her teeth as she examined Elliott up and down critically, like an artist would their masterpiece.

He'd been standing there for a little over an hour, his legs and arms were starting to cramp and he'd really rather be anywhere else _but _here. Where he really wanted to be was up at the North mountain, and see if his castle still stood. Of course, thinking about going back was just a little fantasy to keep his mind occupied from the kingdom's real problems. He could not, _would _not leave again. Not when food was short from the crops dying and damages needed to be attended to.

While Edna continued to stare he shifted his eyes over to Zazu, the newest steward he hired to help Kai, he'd been the one that said that the southern princess was a hostage. He used to be a majordomo over in Africa, from the Pride Lands or something like that. He was dignified and so far a good advisor, and Elliott appreciated his council. The older man's hair was... unique, it was _blue _(with a good many streaks of gray), a deep blue that made an amazing contrast with the man's dark skin. Then again, almost white-haired Elliott wasn't one to talk about unusual hair color.

Years ago his father had reduced the staff when he closed the gates to keep Elliott's secret, and now that the secret was out he was hiring some new faces, Zazu being one of the first changes around the palace.

Apparently finding another flaw, Edna climbed back on the stool and continued to poke His Grace with every needle she could. "I agree you've been exceedingly generous to the princess. But I'm afraid Queen Astrid will not feel the same." Zazu leaned back on his chair, worry lining his face. "She _will_ retaliate, and only gods know _how_."

"I'm not afraid of her," Elliott said. It was true. By birth his title gave him power, but his curse... _magic_, his _magic_, gave him _real _power. He could actually _do _things, _defend _what was his. If a Southern fleet were to attack, Elliott could sink them all, if it came to that. He obviously did _not _want it to come to that, but if it did, you know, he'd be ready. Besides, Astrid and a handful of other girls were nothing to be afraid of, right?

Helena made her sisters sound like they were the pinnacle of all evil, but could it be true? Were they _really _as bad as she painted them? Or did she just want Elliott to fear them?

The old majordomo got to his feet and began pacing, "Do not underestimate them. You asked me to find you information about them, and so information I have gathered." After sending out the letter to the Southern Isles, Elliott had realized he might have to meet with one of them when they came. And he honestly knew next to nothing about about the Isles, so a little insight would be good to have. "As you well know, Astrid is the queen. But before her, it was her parents. They are both dead."

"It was _regicide_," Edna said, as she tugged Elliott's sleeve down and slipped a pin in the fold. "Feh! The man was poisoned- suffered quite a lot, if the gossip tells it true. The old king fathered two bastards, didn't he?"

_That_ was news to Elliott. So two of the thirteen did not share the same mother as the rest. Was Helena one of them? Was she a... bastard?

Zazu nodded, stopping his pacing to look at Edna's work with the hint of a smile. "That is correct. Girls six and twelve." _Helena is thirteen_. _She's not one of the bastards, _Elliott thought. But the girl before her was. "The former queen was not pleased by her husband's infidelity, and he died shortly after."

"Helena's father was murdered by her _mother_?" Elliott didn't mean to voice it out loud, but the shock made him. No wonder Helena was so wrong in the head, _gods_. All Elliott had known before concerning the Southern Isles was that they were a young nation, gathering influence, and it consisted of seven islands. They were mostly a marine kingdom, good in trade. In the text books there was no talk of _regicide _or anything of the sort.

"I believe it to be true. Then the mother died, under rather shady circumstances, and Astrid became queen," Zazu wrung his hands anxiously, as if he dreaded sharing the next bit of information. "There is... something else," the steward took a deep breath. "The Lady Madeleine, second in line, it is also rumored she tried to... ah... tried to kill Astrid. Tried to take the throne from her own sister."

Elliott would have doubled over if he hadn't been so stiff from standing in that position too long. Edna would throttle him if he moved and all her hard work fell apart. But... _seriously? _Did these girls know no limits, _gods_. They really _were _all ruthless. "What... what happened to Lady Madeleine?" Elliott swallowed the thick lump that had formed in his throat. He knew for a fact the second princess had failed, that Astrid was very much still alive. He had never heard of Madeleine.

"Ah, Madeleine. I designed her wedding gown, you know," Edna chirped, not surprised by Zazu's research. This probably was old news to the designer. "She's flat as a board, and that hideous scar made things difficult, but she _was_ dazzling on her wedding day! I daresay prettier than Sonja." Elliott did not know who _Sonja_ was, but he assumed she was one of Helena's prettiest siblings.

"She survived with a facial scar to show for it," Zazu explained. "Again, it's only rumors, but it's said Astrid let her go with _that_ as a warning." Everything with these girls was rumors, nothing seemed certain, other than the fact that the _let's-kill-a-monarch_ deal ran through their veins apparently. Madeleine and Helena had both tried, and they had both failed. Their mother had died under _shady circumstances_. Elliott wondered, what if Astrid had killed her _mother_? Zazu had kind of hinted at it. Had she been successful? He shuddered just speculating about it. _Horrible horrible horrible._

"So, I beg of you, Your Grace, _do not _underestimate the Westergards. Perhaps don't fear them, but _do _be careful when dealing with their kind." Zazu went back to his chair, ran a hand through his blue feather-like hair. "I... where I come from, one brother murdered the other." Elliott closed his eyes and tried to tune out the man's voice. He did not want to hear it, but the words filtered in anyway. "For a _crown_. And it still mattered not, as the King had a son- but the son was wracked with guilt, and he left us with his cruel uncle..."

"I understand." He tried to imagine if Andy- if Andy would ever be capable of- but he could not. He really could not even imagine it. Andy wasn't like the people Zazu had served, or like Helena's family. His little brother had never had eyes for the throne, not once. He certainly would not _kill _for it. If Andy had been anything like- like that Madeleine...

"I think we are finished," Edna said, but she still didn't look entirely satisfied. "I'll do some fabric testing, but your new suit should be ready _very _soon."

Relief flooded him as he lowered his arms at long last, and he let Zazu's warning wash over him. Fine, so these ladies _were _to be feared, even a little bit. It was no game. He got that. He wasn't sure how he felt about knowing these disturbing things about them. "Thank you, Edna," he stepped down from the stool, when he suddenly remembered, "Wait, you didn't get any cape measurements?" He got one of those wistful flashbacks of the North mountain, when he'd let go of his glove and of his cape. How he'd let that thing fly away, ride the wind to gods-knew where.

Edna looked like _she _had been pricked with a needle, "_No capes_!"

* * *

**i wanted to include some more disney characters, but timelines were just **_**not **_**matching up, so this AU kinda thing will make do,:) if u guys like me including other characters like this let me know, if not i'll stop!**

**hahha sorry for dragging it on, you'll find out krista's uncle's intentions in the next chapter.**

**i'm still in exams but i really wanted to get this one up as soon as possible, as a thanks for all the reviews the last chapter got!**

**thank u for reading!:)**


	6. Chapter 5

● Andy ●

Andy ended up sitting between Krista and her uncle, which proved to be a terrible idea.

Krista was glaring so much, he feared that alone would burn a hole through the man's head. Axel was the complete opposite. His posture was relaxed, he stroked the cat's head almost lazily, the gray tabby mewled in delight at the attention. He resembled what Andy thought a _surfer dude_ would look like. The prince had promised he'd be a neutral party, whatever that meant- the tension wafting from Krista was palpable. They sat in an outdoor restaurant, Andy had just had breakfast and Krista could not eat a thing, so the only one with a tuna sandwich in front of them as Axel. He took bites like a starving man.

"I assume you didn't come all this way just to steal that cat," the blonde girl finally broke the silence. "Uncle _Axel_." She said his name like one would say _dirty socks_.

Andy sighed. Acting diplomatic was hard with Krista so on edge. He wanted to side with her, tell this man to go back to whatever Caribbean place he'd been sun tanning for the past years and leave Arendelle. That would probably make Krista very happy, and by extension make _him _very happy. However, Andy was willing to hear the man out, even if Krista was not. The atmosphere was too tense for such a beautiful, clear summer day. The perfect day for a _date_. A date this man had rudely interrupted with his presence.

"I understand you are angry. You have every right to be." He tore off a piece of his sandwich and fed it to the cat. It was hard to be annoyed at a man feeding a stray cat with such ease. "And I am sorry, Krista. I truly am." His dark brown eyes were honest when he looked up at Krista's lighter ones. His were apologetic, while hers were _fire_.

"Yeah, well, your apologies don't fix anything," Andy didn't know Krista to be capable of such ire. He remembered her face of disbelief when she'd laid eyes on this man. Like he was back from the dead or something. Also when she'd confessed, '_he doesn't care about me._' It was easy to place the pieces together, even if Krista hadn't really told him much. He knew her parents had passed, and that she'd pretty much lived with the ice harvesters and with the trolls. Then this uncle, he had not raised her, had not taken her in when her parents...

Axel had abandoned her.

Andy knew a few things about abandonment.

So, yes, Krista had every right to be angry. He didn't know the full story, but Andy fully supported her side. This man should seriously have a damn _good _reason to show up here.

"I know, and I'm sorry," he repeated. "I can't fathom how I'll make it up to you, but I can try."

Krista scoffed, "That's because you _can't_. Unless you can _travel back in time_-" the blonde raised her arms and glanced at Andy like, _can you believe this guy_?

"Krista." Axel sighed, ran his hands through his sandy hair and let it loose, no longer in a ponytail. "I cannot imagine what you've- what you've gone through, all alone..." he said, and had the grace to look guilty at Krista's pointed _well_, _DUH_! face. "I failed you, and by doing that I failed my sister. Failed your father too." So he was the brother of Krista's mother?

The man looked so sad, Andy almost felt bad for him. It did not help that the gray cat was purring against his chest, giving him the most innocent look possible. "I... You would not have been happy with me, Krista. I was... I was into some bad stuff when your mother... you know. I was in a bad place. I had to leave, for a while." the uncle said.

"You didn't take me with you. You didn't _come back_," the raw hurt in her voice was probably worse than the anger. Andy grabbed her hand from under the table and squeezed it. So the uncle used to be a... what? Be a drunk? Andy didn't know, didn't really want him to elaborate. Perhaps the man was right. He didn't strike Andy as a very responsible person. Maybe Krista _had _been better off with the trolls, they _adored _her.

Axel looked down at the checkered mantelpiece, he began picking at some of the threads. "It was better that way, trust me..."

Krista rolled her eyes, apparently not buying into his sob story. When he'd mentioned failing her parents, something in Krista's hard face had changed, but it had been for such a fleeting second Andy thought he'd imagined it.

"So why are you here?" she leaned forward with both elbows on the table, resting her head on her hands. The glint in her eye said she was changing tactics; from being aggressive to feigning intrigue. He opened his mouth to answer, but Krista quickly added, "Your _real _reason, please. Don't say you came just because you _missed me_."

He shut his mouth, opened it again, like he was dumbfounded she'd read him so easily. Finally, with a bit of a guarded expression, he said, "Were you aware of your parents' will?"

"_You're here because of MONEY_?" Krista all but roared. She stood up, making the chair scrape loudly on the cobblestone, the sound drew unwanted attention from passerby's. Andy stood up as well, having had enough of this family reunion. He had not said a word, but he'd been listening, and so far this guy was a bit of a jerk.

Her uncle flinched back, and the cat's tail puffed up, "No, no, no, you misunderstand me! I- I know your parents didn't leave much, I meant your _mother_'s will. The one you possess is their _married_ one, of the things they shared. My sister, she had a testament of her own. "

His words made Krista pause, stopped her from storming out. So that was news to her. "Sit down, please, let me explain," Axel said. He stroked the cat's fur soothingly, and with his other hand gestured at Krista's chair. She reluctantly sat back down, and Andy did the same.

"Well?" her face showed nothing but polite interest. But her eyes gave her away, they shone. Andy could relate, anytime some servant or someone that had known his own mom mentioned something about her, the little information felt good to know. She'd been gone for three years, and he still missed her every day.

Axel relaxed, he was all smiles again. "Your mother left a second will with me, for when you turned eighteen. I, ah, I guess I missed your birthday," he mumbled the last part sheepishly.

Krista waved away his last comment, "yeah, yeah, you missed out on most of my life," her jab wiped the smile right off his face. The cat jumped out of Axel's arms and onto the table, the striped tail almost wagging like a dog's, but much slower. It locked eyes with Andy and jumped on the prince's lap, rubbing its head against his tummy. Andy gasped in surprise, but recovered quickly and rubbed the feline between the ears. It purred.

"I thought we could read it over together," Axel continued, trying to ignore the happy cat that had just betrayed him. Andy made a show of petting the cat's head and its sleek back.

"But... my mom didn't have much? What could she possibly have left me?"

Axel smiled, "Oh, it could be many things... belongings, money, proprieties..." Krista's eyes widened at the third thing, and it only made his uncle smile wider when he said the last one. "_Marriage contracts._.."

Andy jumped so bad he startled the cat, who hissed and fled. "_What_!"

● Maddy ●

Her buffoon husband whined like a child when she announced she would not be joining him for dinner.

"Oh, Madders, come _on_!" he pouted, which looked rather ridiculous in a grown man's face sporting a coarse black beard. She glared at the 'endearing' pet name he'd had for her since they were young. He knew she hated it with a passion. "It's like you're married to _Astrid_, not me! You don't have time for me anymore."

"I spend all _day _with you. I've spent all my _life _with you," she retorted, and then she realized her statement probably applied to Astrid as well. If he noticed, Josef didn't point it out. He continued to rock back and forth in the chair in their room in the King's chambers, like the brat he was. "I need to speak to her, okay? It's about that king who's got Lena."

"_The Snow King_," Josef said in his best squeaky voice. _Gods_ he could be _so _annoying when he wanted to. His dark curls were out of place, his dress shirt rumpled, the slob he always was. "_Froze the entire fjord. Boo!_"

"You read through my papers, didn't you," she wasn't asking it, she was stating it. She had a handful of reports tucked under her arm, things she'd researched to get back in Her Majesty's good graces after the tea party fiasco the other day.

And ho and behold, who would have guessed? King Adgar's son was born with quite the special talent. _The power to control ice and snow_. Just thinking about it made her shiver. If the reports and testimonials she'd managed to get were true, which they probably _were_, Lena had got herself into a hole so deep there probably was no bottom.

Things now spelled D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. If Astrid didn't want problems with Arendelle before, she sure as hell wouldn't want them now. How did you even _fight _this? What hope did they have of winning this one?

It didn't matter. It wasn't her problem to deal with, it was Astrid's. All she would so is deliver the news to her, pretend to be the good sister like she always did. It should appease the queen, at least for a little while.

"You shouldn't leave things laying around that you don't want me to read," Josef sighed, like the mature adult that he was. "Fine, no dinner. Shall I expect you for bed?" She tried to ignore the resentment in his voice. More than once, she'd pulled all-nighters in Astrid's company, helping the queen decide how to run her gods damned country. On those nights Josef would be left alone, longing for his wife. Maddy was Astrid's biggest rival and greatest friend, and she did not know how to balance that out. One minute they'd be best friends, the next Her Majesty would be threatening to exile her own sister.

She rolled her eyes and readjusted her grip on the peace offering for Astrid, "Yes, love. I'll grace you with my presence after visiting our queen. I won't be long." _I hope_. Sometimes what she expected to be a five-minute conversation would drag on to _hours_. Astrid was just unpredictable.

"Hm. Very well," when he stood up, she was reminded of the height difference between them. He didn't _tower _over her, but he was no short man either. He focused on her face and smiled with that stupid goofy face of his, and she suddenly felt self-conscious about the scar on the left side of it. Astrid had gently reminded her of _that_. "I eagerly await our time together, my lady," Without thinking, she reached up to cover the ugly mark, something she hadn't done in front of her husband in _years_. Almost immediately, he grabbed her hand and removed it. "You don't have to hide from me," he said firmly.

The pure affection on his face made her melt.

"Josef..."

* * *

On her way to the patio, she practically ran into Johanna.

"Oh, Madeleine, I'm sorry!"

"Watch where you step," but Maddy's voice didn't hold the usual bite. Even when all her papers went flying, she didn't explode on the twelfth sister. She was probably still blushing like schoolgirl, flustered at her idiot husband's actions. Her sweet, dorky Josef. Many things on her life were a nightmare, and she'd committed a large amount of mistakes, but blessedly marrying Josef hadn't been one of them. He quite literally was the sun in her otherwise shitty life. She'd been lucky with him, some of her other sisters had married the worst kind of scum.

Johanna took note of her sisters' dreamy look, like she took note of everything. She raised a dark brow at the older woman. Johanna was her mother's daughter, an exotic beauty with tanned skin, dark hair and even darker eyes. Maddy's father could have easily denied that she was related to him, but he claimed the bastard girl anyway. She was the smartest of all of them, the intellectual little bitch that only ever talked to Lena, they were born about a month apart.

Before Maddy could process it, Johanna was on her knees, gathering the papers. "You dropped these."

"I know I did," Maddy mumbled, annoyed at the younger girl's stupid observation. They'd crashed in the middle of the stairs, Johanna was going up, while Maddy had been going down. She hoped Astrid was still having her sugary cakes in the patio. If she was not there, she would not know where else to look for the queen at this time of day. The sooner she was back in Astrid's good side the better.

Johanna paused before rising, reading over one of the papers quickly. Maddy realized this too late. She snatched them away, furious at Johanna's intrusive nature. "That's not for you!"

"Is that about Helena?" Johanna's voice was calm, but she did look significantly paler. "King Elliott froze Arendelle?"

Maddy shoved the papers under her arm, "How do you know all those things?" she snapped. She'd been too distracted to realize the little bastard girl had been looking through the papers. Naturally, Johanna seemed to know more than she let on.

"Gibbs should _really _make sure the letters burn when he tosses them in the fire," Johanna said with an impish grin, but her eyes were still worried. "And _you _should be careful while doing research, Maddy. The walls have ears."

"_The walls have ears_," Maddy imitated in a butchered version of the girl's voice. It was childish, but she did not care. Johanna's superiority complex was a lot to stomach. She thought she was _so clever, _this bastard girl. "Whatever. I'm meeting with Astrid to tell her."

Johanna smirked, and the signature facial expression was the only sign that they were related at all. "Okay, Maddy. You do that." Her tone implied she knew something Maddy did not, and it just made her madder. She began to storm away. She was at the bottom of the stairs when Johanna called her.

"_What_?" Maddy yelled back, "What the hell do you want now?"

"Help Helena," Johanna said, with a strange sincerity lacing her words. "Her fall is our fault."

"What is _that _supposed to mean, you pompous piece of-"

"Her fall is our fault," Johanna repeated, disappearing up the stairs, "_some _more than others, certainly. But we're all to blame. Her fall is our fault."

* * *

Johanna made as little sense as Cecile sometimes, so Maddy decided not to dwell on her sister's words. Lena's misguiding was _not _their fault, everyone made choices, however beneficial or rotten they turned out to be. You make a mistake, you accept the consequences, you own up to it. Maddy had made a mistake once, a huge mistake, and she was still paying for it years later; the scar on her face was a souvenir of that one mistake.

Astrid was finishing up the second of her little tart-cake things she liked to eat outside, which was an indicator that her sister was in a decent mood. No servant girls ran away crying, which was also a good sign. She'd known her sister long enough to read her mood through little things like that; also if her hair was pinned up or not, her amount of makeup, etc. It probably made no sense to anyone else, but Maddy knew her sister. She knew her better than anyone, and she still was not sure if that was a good thing.

The queen's hair was loose, in lazy blonde waves down her shoulders. Okay, maybe she wasn't in the _best _mood. Maddy approached silently, half expecting her not to notice her presence right away. But Astrid was Astrid.

"Stop sneaking about and come here," she didn't even bother to glance Maddy's way. She picked up another sugary treat and shoved it in her mouth, "have a seat, tell me what you've found out."

Maddy tried very hard to hide her disappointment. Of course, one of Astrid's "_little birds_" had probably already informed the queen of what her younger sister was up to. _Little birds _was Astrid's name for her _spies_. "_Oh, a little bird told me_," this or, "_One of my little birds saw you_," that. It was infuriating how she wanted to know everything all the time. In fact, one of Astrid's best _little birds_ was Johanna, who shared Astrid's thirst of wanting to know everything. It was a disease, _gods_.

"I'm not _sneaking about_," Maddy let herself fall on the chair opposite of Astrid's. She pulled out the papers and let them fall on the table. Maddy used most of her self control to avoid helping herself some of Astrid's cakes. She remembered when they were younger, and Sophia had tried to grab one. Her hand had been red for days, from the slap the then-heiress had given her. "Here," Maddy gestured at the papers, "I'm sure you're already aware of all this, so I won't bother to explain."

Her disappointment was dull and obvious. _Of course _Astrid probably already knew about Elliott. She would've been the first to know, or maybe second to nosy Johanna.

"Actually, I'm not. I figured I'd let you do the research for me," Astrid said, helping herself to yet another cake. She ate so many and so frequently, Maddy wondered how her sister managed to stay so slim. Then again, the stress alone did take a toll on her appearance.

"Oh?" the tiniest bit of hope fluttered in her chest, and she hated it. She hated that it felt so _good _to know something Astrid did not, have information that would please the queen. "Did no _little birds _sing you a song?"

Astrid shrugged, "The birds have been quiet... all I've been receiving is whispers," the queen frowned, suddenly looking uncertain, "Whispers of things that should not be."

Maddy felt the smile spread across her face faster than she could stop it. Teasing Astrid was dangerous ground, but if she did it cleverly enough, maybe she could pull it off. "Really? Things that should not be?" she raised her eyebrows, "Could you elaborate?"

The blonde narrowed her eyes, probably not appreciating Maddy's half-mocking tone of wonder. "Magical nonsense, powers of..." Astrid shook her head, deeming it too ridiculous to even consider. Maddy bit her lip to keep from laughing. So Astrid _truly _did not know about... oh, gods, this was too good, _too good_. "What is it that you found out? About Adgar's son?" Astrid may know a little, but she did not believe it. Didn't believe that such a thing could be possible. All the proof she needed was right on that table, and she wasn't bothering to read it.

Maddy nodded to herself, flipping through her papers like there was nothing interesting in them, "Oh, not much... he's quite the architect, not good with horses... very good at math! He enjoys-"

"I asked you about things that _matter_," Astrid's annoyed voice cut in. "Not his dating profile."

"Ah," Maddy pretended to be confused. Astrid shook her head, irritation all over her face. _Let her think I'm dimwitted, she'll let her guard down_. "Well... there's this other thing, it's nothing of big importance, but..."

Her older sister rolled her eyes and picked up yet another treat. "Elliott, he does this thing, he..." Maddy said and took a pause, she waited until Astrid took a big, big bite out of one of her cakes. _Chomp_. When the queen's cheeks were full, with whipped cream dripping off her chin in a very unladylike manner, Maddy dropped the bomb. "He does this thing where he can control ice and snow."

The queen's reaction was maybe the best moment of her life.

Later that night when she was giggling under the covers with her husband, she reminisced the moment over and over, determined to burn it into her memory.

"Out her _nose_?" Josef's voice still held disbelief.

"I swear, whipped cream shot _right out of Astrid's nose_," Maddy's eyes were dry, she'd cried herself out from laughing so much. But _thinking _about it still made her shake with glee.

Astrid's ire had been worth it. After collecting herself, after getting _Maddy _to collect herself, she'd pored over the reports, with distress and anger clear on her face. Maddy had commented in the background, told her older sister about Sandlane and how Elliott had broke off relations with the duchess. Astrid sent servants back and forth, barking orders, making preparations Maddy did not care to know.

It got quiet after that, a little scary. The queen was silent, but Maddy knew what was going through her head; she was calculating, and she was planning. Like Maddy had thought, they'd never faced this kind of thing before. Would Astrid take the offensive, as always? Or try the defensive for once? This was too tricky, with them holding Lena prisoner and all. In the end Astrid was too aggravated to continue with the topic, she said she'd have something figured out by morning. _Good luck to her_.

"I would've paid good money to see that," Josef sighed, sounding honestly sad that he'd missed it. He burrowed his face in her hair, still with an arm around her waist. She'd _never _tell her doofus husband how much she immensely enjoyed these kinds of moments between them, but she suspected he knew.

She wondered how Astrid could bear itH. ow she could shoulder the responsibility of ruling all by herself. Maddy would have probably thrown herself off the highest tower if it weren't for Josef, he was something to look forward to at the end of every hard day. Marriage had been restlessly suggested throughout Astrid's rule, even when she was younger she'd had lots of suitors, but none that kept her interest for very long. Father _was _going to just arrange a marriage for her if his heiress didn't decide, but he died before he could do that. After him Mother died too, so Astrid was left to do as she pleased, which turned out to be the single life.

It was not that she needed someone, no. Her sister did perfectly fine by herself. But the matter of heirs was a pressing one. Astrid did not have any children. She didn't seem to _want _any. If Astrid died with no heir, Maddy would be queen. Maddy didn't have children either, but she was younger and she had a husband, so that was two steps ahead of their current ruler. It was like Astrid was just going to leave the throne to her, but knowing her sweet sister, she probably had bigger things planned.

She rolled over and nuzzled her husband's neck, "It was the _best moment_," she murmured. With Josef's warm body next to hers, she continued to wonder, did Astrid ever envy this? Did she ever feel lonely?

"Quiet, or Her Majesty will hear you," he whispered back. It was impossible she'd hear just from their adjoining bathroom, since they slept in the King's chambers and she slept in the Queen's, but Maddy did try to quiet down. "I'm surprised she didn't threaten to kick us out for how you delivered the news to her."

Maddy rolled her eyes, "Oh, she did. Wouldn't be the first time this week."

"If she ever does good on her word, where would you like us to go live?"

Maddy smiled with that same evil smile she'd let slide when Astrid had not known about Elliott's power. "Arendelle, obviously."

She'd said it sarcastically, the proposal was just ridiculous, and Josef laughed. She hadn't meant it, she'd never even visited the cold place so far north. She had no wish to.

Little did she know, that was about to change.

* * *

**+++i wanted to show off a little more of helena's sisters, to get a feel on their characters y'know, now u've met johanna, got to know maddy's not-so bitter side a lil better. and **_**yes **_**game of thrones references are here to stay **_**foreeeverr**_**.**

**++eeeey I hope things aren't confusing, my english isn't rly the best, and i do try to make myself as clear as possible. if you have any questions, please ask (not as guest) so i can answer ya :) no spoilers of course.**

**+ next chapter there'll be a little someone from Atlantis :) so that should be cool, after the positive reviews on more disney characters, i'll be sure to introduce a few more! aaalso next chapter, if u've missed helena's POV, ur in luck! i know i have, kehe**

**thank you for reading!:)**


	7. Chapter 6

●Andy●

"What do you mean, '_marriage contracts'?" _It was the first time Andy had spoken up during this whole thing, and when he did his voice came out squeaky. He cleared his throat, and tried again, "Marriage contracts for _who_?"

Axel raised both eyebrows at him, probably surprised Andy was not a mute after all. "Well, it means my sister probably had someone in mind for Krista to wed someday," he explained. "An arranged union."

Andy struggled for words and came up empty, "_What_?"

Krista seemed to be on the same boat as him, but she was not managing words at all. Her eyes glared at her uncle, but her mouth was open in confusion. At her lack of response, Axel continued, "Don't worry, they're probably from a good family. You know how your mother always wanted to, ah... rise up in the social ladder," he cringed at the way he put it, but continued on, "They'll probably be a good match for you, sweetheart. Your mom wanted what was only best for you. You will have a good marriage." Axel smiled, and it made something twist inside Andy.

Krista gripped the ice reindeer Elliott had gifted her like it was the only thing anchoring her to the ground. She stared at the smooth ice with a lost look. Meanwhile, Andy was in a panic. An alarm was ringing in his head. What did Krista's silence mean? Acceptance of... of _this_, whatever this was? The possibility of losing Krista suddenly became _too _real. They weren't _officially _together, after all that had happened, but with a little time, dating for a while, Andy thought...

It wasn't his place to say, it really, _really _wasn't. It didn't feel right, but he _had _to say something. "Krista doesn't _have _to do anything. She... she could honor her mom's wishes... but she doesn't _have_ to," the words left him easily, and before he lost his nerve, he added, "Krista is her own person. She can choose."

Both blondes turned to stare at him, wearing _very _different expressions. Axel seemed irritated, and he stared at Andy as if he were seeing him for the first time. Krista was smiling at him, but it was a smile he hadn't seen before, it was both grateful and a little sad, and made whatever was to come worth it.

"Excuse me, I'm afraid Krista did not introduce us," Axel squinted at Andy, perhaps trying to make him feel small. "Who are you, young man?"

He _lived _for moments like this. It made him feel a little guilty and like a brat, but the satisfaction he got almost overshadowed those feelings. "Prince Anders of Arendelle," he said coolly, nodding at Axel's shocked face. "Pleased to meet you."

The snippet of memory came to him fast, but it came to him all the same. When he'd first met Helena and crashed into her, she'd been really mad with him at first. But the moment his title of prince came up, she was all smiles. It hurt to remember, so he blocked it out.

"My... lord," the man stammered and bowed his head. Krista's smirk was infectious and he beamed back. Looking a lot less confident, Axel stood up, "Perhaps we can talk another time. On our next meeting, I'll bring your mother's testament and we'll read it together, yes?"

"Fine." Krista nodded curtly at her uncle. He hesitated, his arms spread almost as if he wanted a hug, but Krista remained seated, eyes narrowed at him, "I'll see you some other time, then."

Dejected, her uncle's shoulders slumped, "Very well, Krista. See you," he bowed his head at Andy before hurrying away. Once out of earshot, both Andy and Krista started talking at the same time.

"Can you believe this guy-"

"Who did my mom want me to marry-"

They shut their mouths simultaneously. Andy smiled sheepishly, silently indicating that she should continue, so she did. "I don't know who my mom intended me to marry... I didn't really know anyone growing up."

"Except Suri." he said, trying to lighten things up. But he was secretly worried about this, what it would mean for Krista, for them...

"Except Suri," she agreed. The ice harvester sighed and rubbed the back of her head, "Can we ignore what just happened, at least until tomorrow? I, uh... would like to enjoy the rest of our day together." Her cheeks turned pink, and the prince was all too happy to follow that plan.

Andy smiled brightly, "We sure can."

Realizing Krista's inconsiderate uncle hadn't paid for his sandwich, Andy left a few coins on the table and left with the blonde, trying to get his positive mood back. But he still couldn't shake those words. _Marriage contracts._ _They'll probably be a good match for you_. Andy tried not to sneer.

"What did he mean... your mother tried to '_climb up in the social ladder_'?" he asked as they entered a busy street, he reached behind him to take Krista's hand in his to not lose her.

He didn't turn to look at her, but he could _feel _the roll of her eyes. "She always dreamed of marrying rich. But, ah... she fell in love with my dad," her voice was affectionate, "I think she was happy with her choice in the end."

The corner of Andy's mouth rose. Krista's mom liked her choices.

_And I like mine_.

●Helena●

The royal physician, who went by Dr. Sweet, arrived in her room the morning after the king's visit.

It was obvious the man was not from Arendelle, he was probably new, from the staff Elliott had been hiring. He was a tall black man, completely bald, and very muscular, so he was not a bad sight. The only downside was how much he _talked_. Kept being loud and boisterous about places he'd visited, placed like _Atlantis _and things she honestly did not care to know about.

He sucked air between his teeth as he examined the bruise around her eye, "Whoever did this had a mean right hook, princess, _jeez_!"

She tried with all her might to not pull away from him, "You don't say." He only chucked at her flat, emotionless tone. Now Elliott was sending doctors to look after her, what kind of game was he playing? _Why _did he care?

_He's a good person. A good person you tried to _murder-

She pulled away from the man's grasp, as if that would stop the voices inside her head. Dr. Sweet wasn't affected by her rudeness, and he rummaged through his bag, looking for something. If the shame she felt now was unbearable, she could not imagine how it'd be with one of her sisters. She'd melt into a puddle, probably. If she was lucky the earth would swallow her. Having both Elliott _and _one of her sisters, together, judging her-

"Are you okay? You're looking a little pale there," he placed one big hand against her forehead, frowned when he found nothing wrong. "Huh. You don't want some fresh air?"

"Fresh... air?" _Out of this prison?_

The man shrugged his massive shoulders, "It could do you some good." Dr. Sweet pulled out a small jar and dipped his fingers in. "We can go for a walk," he smeared the transparent ointment around her eye and she almost shivered. The stuff was ice-cold. He smirked, "This is a new thing I'm trying out. King Elliott helped me create it with his magic. Ice is wonderful to reduce swelling." _Of course _the ice king wonder was involved in this. His kindness annoyed her more than it did her any favors.

She tried her best to ignore his empty promises of getting her out, but he was oblivious to that, as he continued to chat away, "By the way, I thought it was really nice what you did. While the prince and king were away."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Dr. Sweet laughed, like her obvious confusion was cute. "So humble! When no one else was here for the people, _you _were. I saw you giving that cloak that that woman," he winked. "And when you fed those children? The free glögg you gave out?" Hearing all the good things she did didn't cancel out the bad, but it did make her feel a little less shitty. "You kept everyone calm, you comforted them! How many royals would do that?!"

Since there was no mention of the awful things she'd done, she realized something. What had gone down between herself and the Arendelle family was a secret. No one knew outside that blonde girl that was with Andy. _Duh_, Elliott obviously did not want that to be known. She'd been _this _close to destroying them, and that kind of weakness would not be perceived well by the public. To the people outside she was still the heroine that had stepped up when no one else had.

"You're too kind, Dr. Sweet," she said, remnants of her manners coming back. She hadn't bothered with her polite facade since the Great Thaw, but if this man thought she was so wonderful, and the civilians did too, maybe escaping wasn't so farfetched anymore. Out of boredom she'd memorized the guard rotations, and since Dr. Sweet was here... there was no one outside her door. They probably trusted the doctor to not free her. _But the doctor didn't know_. The old fire inside her started to catch on, "And you are right, maybe fresh air _will _do me some good."

He grinned at her, "Perfect!"

He started to gather his things, and she sat here, not believing her luck. _Could this be any better_? But she was wary. The opportunity was too good to be true, this was all too convenient. Was this a test? Did Elliott want to press even more charges against her?

_Who cares. You're already in a world of trouble, might as well try this_.

She would not be getting another chance like this. She _had _to take it, she _had _to go before her sisters got here. As she followed the tall man out the door _the actual unguarded door_, she planned inside her head. Her title could only get her so far, she'd have to also rely on her looks, her cunning, whatever it took.

"We could visit the marketplace, see if they have something else for your eye," Dr. Sweet said as they went down the staircase. The staff of the palace gave her funny looks when they saw her, but nothing more. _And no guards_. She held her breath, waiting for someone to stop them as they strolled right out the open gates, but nobody gave her a second look. _No Elliott, no Andy either!_

"That would be lovely," she said absentmindedly, already craning her head in every direction to look for the perfect opening to escape. As she had suspected, once outside the palace walls every face that saw her was a friendly one.

"Princess Helena!"

"My lady!"

"What happened to your eye?"

She fake- smiled at the little boy that had asked the intrusive question, but offered no answer. People parted for them as they walked, and it felt _so good, _the looks on their faces so in _awe_, she felt herself swell with pride. "It's her, son! The princess that got that wood for our family, there!" a man pointed.

"Thanks to her we didn't freeze to death."

"See? They remember!" Dr. Sweet laughed beside her. She forced a laugh in return, but her eyes were looking at the few ships bobbing in the water.

_If she managed to get on one, where would she go?_

Any ship that would take her would be good, she decided.

Losing the man in the crowd was easy.

The Arendellans were preparing some sort of festival, she assumed it was the summer one because the solstice was so close. Because of that, the streets were more packed than usual, and all it took for her to get away from the doctor was duck away behind an alley and wait for him to notice her absence.

"Princess? Princess Helena?"

She would have laughed, but she didn't dare risk the sound. _She was free_. She traveled along the alley and popped up in another street, just as busy as the other one.

Helena pinned her hair up and carefully snatched away a man's hat right off his head as he passed by, he didn't even notice. She fixed it as best as she could so it would hide her face, if someone knowledgeable of the situation saw her, the black eye would give her away immediately. Her clothes were fancy, but not so that they would attract a lot of attention.

Hopefully her appearance would be enough to trick any ship captain into thinking she had any money on her. For jewelry she only had a gold bracelet and her pearl earrings, and now she cursed herself for not bringing the rest of it. Literally she'd left all of her possessions back at the cell, and the carelessness would cost her. Then again, packing up all her belongings would've looked suspicious with the doctor, so it was probably better this way. The bracelet would surely get her a nice ticket out of here, and she could always use the earrings for emergencies.

As she lost herself in the crowd she considered her options. Go to a pawnbroker straightaway and get some good money, or just straight up trade the jewelry for passage on a ship. Money would probably be the wise thing to do, and a hot meal would be nice as well. She shouldered her way through the crowd, careful to keep her hat on as it was the only decent thing about her 'disguise' if it could even be called that. If people looked carefully enough, they _would _recognize her, so she attracted as little attention to herself as possible.

That lasted for a good ten seconds before the crowd thinned and she tripped over a loose stone. If the world was good, she would have landed on her face and that would have been the end of it. But the world was _not _good and things were not in her favor, and she actually crashed against someone.

"Do you _mind_?" she cried, jerking away from the guy. She raised her hat to see who it was, and when she did, her heart most literally _stopped_.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I wa-"

Andy's voice died mid-sentence as his green eyes locked on hers. The tensest second of her whole life dragged on for an eternity. She got the most horrible flashback of when they'd met, that first encounter, almost exactly like this one, when Andy had crashed into her. _The fates were cruel_.

The spell was broken when a girl's voice said, "Andy?"

The blonde caught up to Andy, who seemed to be paralyzed. Then the girl followed his gaze to Helena's face.

"Shit!" she didn't know what fueled her arms, but she shoved the prince so hard it was almost worthy of that time this same blonde girl had shoved _her _off that boat after the Great Thaw. The prince cried out as he fell, but Helena wasn't there to see it, as she had already spun on her heel and she was running, running, running.

●Krista●

"Was... was that...?"

"That was Helena," Andy confirmed, still sitting right in the middle of the street after being shoved by that wicked little princess. He was still staring after her, as if his eyes alone would bring her back.

"_How _did she escape?" Krista demanded, not really expecting an answer. She thought the windows of her room were barred, the door guarded, and there was no way... unless someone had got her out. A feeling of cold dread settled on her stomach. Was that the thing Elliott and Andy were worried about, when they didn't admit a lot of ships in?

"We need to go after her," Andy got up slowly, almost like an old man. His eyes were still intensely focused on the path Helena had escaped on, like it was the only thing he could see. The tiniest pang of jealousy shot through her, but Krista quickly dismissed it. Andy wasn't infatuated with Helena anymore, the intensity in his gaze was something else entirely. Something between determination and crossness.

Still, the fact that the princess managed to look great even with a black eye and a ratty hat on her head was a little disheartening. If it was Krista sporting that look she'd probably resemble someone that had lost a bar brawl. Somehow, Helena had managed to make that look work, and it annoyed her to no end. "We need to tell Elliott!" Krista said.

Andy shook his head stubbornly, turning to look at Krista. His expression was fierce, "No, no, we can take her!"

"True... but if she gets on a ship, it's over," Krista reasoned. "Elliott's the only one that can give the order that no ships leave."

The prince growled, a sound so unlike Andy it surprised her. She loved the prince's sweet side, but she couldn't lie; this side was mighty alluring too. "I still think one of us should stay on her tail," Andy said.

"Fine. At your insistence, it will be me," she said. Andy's frown deepened, and he was about to protest, but Krista was already running. "Go get Elliott," she called back.

The blonde had seen the look on Andy's face when he'd encountered Helena. He'd been totally helpless, and if he caught her, chances were he'd be too afraid to do anything. That girl had traumatized poor Andy for the worst. That was not the case with Krista.

She'd shove that witch off fifty ships if she had to.

* * *

**in case you didn't catch that, Dr. Sweet is from Atlantis!**

**i've been sick lately, and with a little bit of a writer's block, so i don't know when the next update will be, sorry about that:( but i hope u enjoyed reading anyway!:)**


	8. Chapter 7

●Andy●

Andy clenched his fists so hard he wouldn't be surprised if there were little crescent-shaped marks left behind. His jaw had probably also suffered some damage from the way he kept tightening it with anger. But he couldn't help it, because _Helena was loose_.

He hated the paranoia feeling buzzing inside his head, it felt like the air was charged with electricity of the worst kind. She could be anywhere, she could have doubled back and be _right behind him_-

He whipped around, like the madman he was, but of course there was no one else. The prince tried to take a calming breath to steady his breathing. _Be rational_. Most likely, she'd be looking for a way out of here. Andy had to get to Elliott and stop any ships from leaving. If things got messy, Elliott could totally freeze the fjord's water again. _As long as she doesn't escape_.

But... would it _really _be so bad if she escaped? She'd be gone, forever, out of his life. The thing was, what if she _came back_, came back with an army? With her Southern Isles buddies? He cringed just thinking about it. He ran inside the open gates, making a beeline for Elliott's study.

"Elliott, Elliott, _Elliott, ELLIOTT_!"

He said his brother's name like a mantra, hoping that the words alone would somehow summon the king. They didn't. They did, however, startle General Winter out of whatever activity he'd been doing. The little snowman rushed out of a room, swinging his brand new ice sword in every direction, "What, what, what... what's wrong? Slow down, m'boy."

"Have you seen- where's my- where's Elliott?" Andy had ended up sprinting, since all his power walk had done was make him anxious that he'd be too late. Andy frowned at the General's funny-looking appearance. Random patches of black fur stuck to his snowy exterior, "Were you threatening the stuffed bear trophy-thing again?"

The mounted bear they owned was _really _creepy. It stood in its hind legs, mid-roar, the ugliest creature Andy had ever seen, full of scars, a malformed and rugged beast. Father said its name had been "Mor'du", and it had been a gift from some Scottish queen Andy had never met. It was a hideous thing and the prince didn't understand why they kept it. When he was little, the thing terrified him. It still did, actually.

By ignoring his question, General Winter affirmed what he'd been up to. "He's with Dr. Candy. The man seemed a little upset, if you ask me. Come on, I'll take you." For a second Andy was confused, he didn't know any '_Dr_. _Candy_,' but then he realized... Dr. Sweet. Why was Elliott hanging out with the new doctor? Did something happen?

_Well, how convenient for Helena! _he thought angrily as the snowman led him down the hall. If Elliott was hurt, then all hope of stopping the wicked princess was gone. She would win.

He sensed Elliott before he saw him.

The temperature outside the king's study was a good ten degrees lower than the rest of the palace, and the room just emitted cold power. The door swung open and Elliott stormed out, a snarl set on his usually amiable face. A trail of ice followed in his wake. Behind him was a dejected-looking Dr. Sweet, with his head down and a sorry look on his face.

"Elliott-" Andy started, but was swiftly cut off by the king.

"Helena. I know. Come with me." Elliott said, his legs were longer and his steps more determined, and he'd soon left Andy behind. Dr. Sweet followed meekly, as well as an eager General Winter who was sensing a fight.

"How did she get out?" Andy had to jog to catch up to Elliott's angry pace.

A muscle in Elliott's jaw twitched, "Dr. Sweet. I... did not tell him what Helena had done. In fact, nobody knows besides you and I and a couple of guards. He took her out to get some _fresh air_."

"She saw the chance and she took it," Andy said, low enough so only they could hear. He should be mad that Elliott hadn't told anyone about Helena's true nature. But... he wasn't. He didn't _want _people to know, not for _her _sake, but for _his_. It was too humiliating.

"_I leave Princess Helena in charge_!" that's what he'd said before riding off to find his brother. He had left their whole kingdom in her care. To the people she was still that wonderful princess, so of course she'd feel comfortable escaping to go to them.

"To make things worse, I just got word from the Southern Isles," Elliott said as they left the palace.

"What? _When_?"

"_Just _before I learned that Helena had escaped," Elliott's voice was frustrated. "Her timing couldn't have been worse... ah, Dr. Sweet," the king turned to the doctor, "Please inform Zazu of what's happened, and to tell the dock master that no ships leave under any circumstances until I say otherwise."

The ashamed doctor bowed his head, "As you wish."

The two brothers kept a good pace as they headed into the village. People stopped to point and call out to their king, but the royal family didn't stop to chat. Elliott acknowledged them with smiles and small waves, but his legs never stopped moving. General Winter skated close by, the small cloud above his head that never stopped creating snow to keep him cool assisted him in that.

"What did Helena's family say?" Andy asked.

"They're sending someone _very soon_. Turns out one of the sisters was visiting Corona, and they'll stop by here, I guess."

Andy's geography needed a little polishing, so he asked for the first person he associated with the country."One of Helena's sisters was visiting Rapunzel?"

"Apparently." Elliott said. For the first time, the king seemed to notice something was amiss, "Where's your girlfriend?"

"She's not- not my girlfriend!" _yet_. Andy felt the heat rise to his cheeks, and even in the hectic situation, Elliott smiled in amusement. "She went after Helena."

"That's not good," Elliott's smile was gone. "She could be in danger."

"Krista can handle anything," and as he said it, Andy desperately wanted to believe it.

●Krista●

Krista started to think they had hallucinated Helena from the lack of progress she was having on finding the auburn-headed nightmare.

She was leaving no clues for Krista to follow. She wasn't knocking over stands to slow her down, or shoving people out of the way. Then again, the princess' face when she'd bumped into Andy back there had been just short from absolute shock. She'd thought herself safe, but for some reason the gods made it so they found each other again. Helena hadn't been counting on that.

The blonde stopped dead in the middle of the street to think this through. This pointless chasing of a ghost was doing no good. Okay, okay, if Krista were a disgraced princess from the south, whose escape plans had practically _just_ been foiled, where would she go...?

_Well, I'd look for a captain stupid enough to take me, someone that doesn't live here and doesn't care about the king's rage... a pirate!_

There was no guarantee that her guess was true, but the pub 'Neverland' was _right _across from her. There weren't all that many options for the princess to hide in anyway. Krista knew for a fact that it was a traveling pirates favorite spot when doing business in Arendelle. In fact, she frequently delivered ice for the place, if it was for their drinks or to use the cold to numb pain from bar brawls she didn't know, but they _were _clients of hers. So she wasn't very nervous about going in, she knew the owner (sort of), but the people inside varied every time...

Helena didn't need to be a genius to guess the type of people that went in there, the shady look of the place alone was enough. Perfect for some princess smuggling. It was her best bet, so Krista mumbled a silent prayer to any god that would hear it and she went in.

The sharp smell of beer almost made her gag as she stepped in, but she sucked it up before she could attract any attention to herself. But opening the door to the dark tavern was like having the spotlight turned on, and every head immediately turned her way. Every pair of eyes, or single eyes sporting eye patches, peered at her in a menacing way. Many of the pirates were missing limbs, their clothes didn't match half the time, and it was very easy to tell apart the rich captains from simple crew members.

What was even _easier_ was spotting Helena.

She was already all over the wealthiest-looking pirate, a man sitting on the very back with black hair that draped over his shoulders, a thin black mustache and a large chin. Helena was twirling said mustache between her fingers, her eyes hooded, obviously buttering him up to get safe passage on his ship. The man was actually eating up her act, his undivided attention on the princess. Both of them did not notice Krista's entrance, but the chubby man with the red sock-hat beside the pirate did.

Krista took a deep breath and walked over to the trio, with as much courage as she could muster with half the tavern burning holes through her with their intense staring. _For Andy, for Andy, for Andy_, she wished he was here. Or Suri. No, scratch that, she wanted General Winter to be here. She would feel ten times more confident with him around. Even if he was barely five feet tall, the little snowman was a force to be reckoned with.

By some sort of miracle, she made it to the end of the place, but she wasn't sure how to announce her presence. Luckily, someone did it for her. "Captain," the pirate's assistant said, narrowing his eyes at her through his large and bulbous nose.

"It can wait, Smee, don't you see I'm talking with the... _lady _here?" the man purred the last words and, as if on que, Helena giggled. _Gross_. The man shifted his arm and something flashed in the light; a fine steel hook was where his left hand should be. Great, Helena was trying to make deals with _Captain Hook_.

"Actually, sir, it can't wait," Krista somehow found it within her to speak up. She didn't even know why she bothered with being polite; he was a pirate after all. But it did the trick, she got his attention.

"Well, well! It seems we've been getting all the luck with beautiful ladies today!" his green eyes examined her with an approving glint. He smiled crookedly at Helena, "Friend a' yours?"

Helena's face was both annoyed and horrified, and it pleased Krista immensely. "I'm afraid not," the princess said, quickly transforming her face to a more pleasant one. "I haven't had the _pleasure_." The way she forced out the last word, it indicated that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with the ice harvester.

"Krista Bjorgman!"

Krista blinked confusedly; the words had not left her mouth. A cold metallic arm was placed around her shoulders in a side-hug, and from the sheer bulk she knew who it was; John Silver, cook extraordinaire and owner of this fine establishment. "It's good to see you," he said warmly, and Krista tried not to stare too long at the missing half of his face which had been replaced by metal, she also knew one of his legs shared that same fate.

The technology used to replace his lost parts was advanced and _very _expensive, he was the result of a rare experiment that had long since been banned. Banned or not, John was half robot now, and that's all that mattered. His previous pirate life was something he did not enjoy talking about.

"You know the lass?" Hook said, miraculously losing interest in the lady on his lap. Helena immediately went into _planning mode_, Krista could see it on her face. The hazel eyes shifted over to the back door, she was already calculating for a plan B. Gods, did this girl never stop her plotting?!

"Know her? Krista's been delivering ice here for... How long?" Silver, the bear of a man glanced at her with his good eye and his robotic one, and she tried her best not to be intimidated.

"Uh... for years?"

"For years!" he echoed, and gave her a friendly pat on the back, which with his superhuman arm, almost knocked the breath out of her. "Can I get you anything? On the house, obviously."

"I'm good, John, thanks!" she beamed as best as she could manage. Helena was getting twitchy, as if she'd make a run for the door any second. In a moment of blunt stupidity she slid in the booth _right next to _Helena. The princess made an indignant little noise; now she was trapped between Krista and Hook, so the moment of stupidity turned out to be a good play on her part. "Unless my friends here want anything?"

"Rum!" Hook said immediately.

"You got it," John nodded and went back to the bar, his metallic leg whirring as he moved.

"Actually, Helena here wasn't being all that truthful," Krista said, keeping her best poker face on. So far she'd made the right calls, Hook seemed to like her and the princess did not look so confident anymore. "We _do _know each other."

"Aye, I got the feeling," Hook said, appreciating the two women with a slight smirk. Krista had to play this right, she could not reveal what was really going on; the place was full of criminals after all, and it could go both ways; they could help, expecting a reward from Arendelle's family. Or they could help _Helena_, in hopes of an even bigger reward from the Southern Isles party.

"She's the one I told you about," Helena blurted out.

Krista's heart tripped and face-planted on barren ground. _She was an idiot! _

_Of freaking course _Helena had already fed this captain all her lies. Hook paused for a moment, raising a dark eyebrow at Krista, "She the one that stole yer man?"

"That I stole your... _what_?" Krista's mouth shot open, momentarily confused. _Just like that_, Helena had swiftly taken back control of the situation.

Helena nodded so fast her whole head might've fallen off, "Yes. Now they're after me, like I told you. I need to get out of here, _right away_." She scooted away from Krista and closer to Hook.

Hook's previously kind-ish face was suddenly murderous. "Ye stole her man, ye framed her, ye beat her!" At Krista's blank face, the pirate pointed at Helena's eye with his hook, "Blacken her eye ye did!"

It took exactly three seconds for Krista to catch on and for her temper to flare. "Did she fail to mention her '_man' _is -_was_- _Prince Andy_? And I did not _steal _him! _She_," Krista jabbed a finger right into the princess' ribs, "tried to _kill _him!"

"Don't touch me!" Helena sneered, and Krista met her glare with the same intensity. Things were getting out of hand too fast. It would be _amazing _if Andy could arrive with reinforcements right about _now_.

"I'm not following," Smee looked between the two girls. He pulled off his glasses and wiped them with his shirt, "_This _one told us a different tale," he said, referring to Helena, "and now yer saying the exact opposite!"

"Silence, Mr. Smee!"

"Because _I'm _telling the truth!"

"No, you're not!"

"_You're _a huge _bitc_-"

"Rum for you all!" A different voice boomed.

The tension was quickly defused by John Silver expertly sliding four glasses filled to the brim with dull brown liquid. Amazingly, the captain caught it using his hook, as if he were used to it, but his narrowed eyes never left Krista's. Krista accepted the drink too and brought it close to her chest, but now she was thinking like Helena; what was the fastest and safest way to get out of here in one piece? Things were certainly _not _going smoothly, the only thing keeping order was John's sudden presence. One did _not _want to mess with John Silver, the huge man with robotic parts.

Arguing with Hook while he was under Helena's charming spell felt like a losing battle, so Krista tried to figure out her next best move. "Hey, John? Have you met Princess Helena here?"

"_Princess_?" Hook had been in the middle of gulping down the rum, and it elegantly flew in all directions as he spit it out. He raised his hook to Helena's chin to force her to look him in the eye, "_Yer a princess?!_"

"_Whaaat_? Helena, _why _would you withhold such information?" Krista said, mentally patting herself in the back. That was a good save. She didn't know Helena hadn't introduced herself as a princess, she just wanted to keep John around, but maybe this was what she needed to turn Hook against Helena.

"Y-Yes, I'm a princess," with more nerve than Krista thought her capable of, Helena batted away the cold iron hook from her chin, "I just didn't want to say so in such a... _public space_," she said carefully, and then a lazy smirk replaced her uncertain look, "I figured you'd want to be the only one to know, once we were on your ship. Do you know how many people would offer to take me if they knew who I was?

"But now... I'm afraid my title has attracted unwanted attention." And curse Helena, curse her sly self a thousand times; she was right. All of the clients were looking their way now, all the sleazy-looking pirates had a greedy glint in their eye upon realizing a princess was among them. Was Krista imagining it or... where they getting closer?

"_OUT_!" Silver suddenly barked. He used his large body to shield the four people at the table from the prying eyes. "Out all of you!" His robotic eye flashed red in a menacing way. The pirates didn't need to be told twice when a man like John Silver gave an order.

The complaints were many, and they were loud, but eventually everyone but the five of them filed out. The air was charged with tension, the way it did before an avalanche. Every instinct inside Krista insisted that she leave too, but she couldn't, couldn't let Helena get her way. She had to _at least _stall long enough for Andy to get here.

But this was very difficult. Just when she got the upper hand, Helena would swoop in almost immediately and regain control. She was a smooth talker, no wonder Andy and so many others fell under that charm. It was almost an art. The art of deception, for sure, but still. That cunning was what had got the princess this far. Krista wondered which of Helena's sisters had taught her these tricks.

"Good, we've got some privacy. _Now_," Silver growled and dragged a chair over to sit. "_James Hook_, you tell me what is happening. Now!"

Krista had to bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing. So this guy's name _really _was Hook? Krista had just nicknamed him that inside her head, but the cruel irony was much more funny. "I don't even know anymore, mate. The blonde just came in an' started jabbering about Prince Andy an' something about trying to kill him?" Hook exchanged a look with Mr. Smee, "I jus... I don't know."

Helena, who was still trapped between Krista and Hook, stood up and slammed her hands down on the table, "I don't have time for this! I have to go!"

"You're not going _anywhere_," Krista growled, yanking the girl back down by the collar of her shirt. Helena looked momentarily surprised at Krista's strength, but she quickly went back to her snarl-y face.

For the first time, she had the luxury of having the princess' full attention. "Look... _Krista_. Regardless of what Andy told you... of what you _saw _on the fjord... I just, I can't... I can't be here when my sisters get here. I just _can't_." If Krista hadn't known any better, she would have believed every word. Even when Helena grabbed her hand and squeezed it to make her point more urgent, Krista would not be swayed. "So please don't make this difficult. Just let me leave."

Krista sighed and pulled her hand away. She had siblings too. Adoptive siblings. Trolls. Lots of them. And she understood that sisters could be a pain, and brothers too, but they _were _family. Even if they weren't blood-related, they still had a special bond. Helena acted like her sisters arrival would be the end of the world. "You are staying here, and you are answering for your crimes."

The corner of Helena's mouth twitched. "I had to try."

Before Krista could even figure out what _that _meant, Helena had already leaped on top of the table, practically stepped over John Silver's face, and made a run for the door. It all happened so fast none of the three pirates or Krista could even react on time.

"_MR. SMEE_!"

But Hook's cry was useless, as the poor assistant couldn't do anything but watch as the princess almost made it to the door. And she would have made it, she could have got away, and left Arendelle, and never be seen again.

The door swung open with a blast of cold air, so powerful it was almost thrown off its hinges. The floor and walls were quickly coated in a fine layer of ice. It was as if Helena had slammed against an invisible wall, because she stopped dead in her tracks, her face that of a startled rabbit.

Two castle guards marched in, spears in hand, and they stood on either side of the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hook ducking under the table and pulling Mr. Smee down with him. She was pretty sure they were going to try and crawl away to the back door, but in that moment she didn't care. Silver remained seated, his good eye and his robotic one drinking in the scene. Krista scrambled out of the booth to greet Arendelle's king. _Their timing couldn't have been better._

Elliott stepped in, his spine so rigid it could have snapped. But his grand entrance achieved the effect he'd probably wanted; Helena was not trying anything, she just stood there, paralyzed. Andy's posture was the complete opposite of Elliott when he walked in behind his brother. His shoulders were slouched, his eyes down, avoiding Helena's. General Winter waddled in, breaking the silence, "That her?"

"That's her, General." Elliott's eyes were the color of ice, but they burned like a fire. "_Helena_."

The princess seemed to regain her ability to breathe, and outstandingly, she managed not only to smirk, but to meet Elliott's intense gaze, "I suppose it's a bad time to invite you a drink?"

●Elliott●

When they had seen the crowd of pirates outside Neverland, Elliott figured out pretty quickly they probably weren't out there because of a pirate convention, but because something was going down inside.

He was still kicking himself over being so foolish. He should have at least told Dr. Sweet that Helena was not to be trusted at all. Don't give out the full story, just... enough. Enough so _this _situation wouldn't happen. But he had decided to tell no one, and doing that small kindness to the princess may just cost him her escape.

"What do you think?" Elliott arched a brow at his younger brother, who was very nervous no matter how many times Elliott assured him that the southern girl would not get away.

"Y-yeah, maybe, um... yeah, they could be in there." Andy swallowed with difficulty, his green eyes more jumpy than himself.

"What worries you?"

"That's _Neverland_, Elliott! You know who owns that place? The robot guy! Krista could be- and- and Helena, she could've-"

"Pull yourself together, m'boy!" General Winter, ever the voice of reason, spoke in his gruff voice. "We shall go in there, and destroy whatever must be destroyed. It will be simple. Like a cake. Yes."

The General nodded to himself, he was more driven and confident than the two brothers put together. Elliott was very glad that he'd tagged along. "Piece of cake?" Andy muttered.

"We won't be destroying anything. The objective is to- ah... capture." the King gestured at the two guards that had accompanied them towards the door, "Make sure the place is secure. We're going in."

"Yes, Your Grace," they replied.

"We don't even know if they're inside," Andy said.

"We have to hope so," Elliott summoned a ball of ice to his hand, "Or else she'll win."

●•●

* * *

The walk back to the palace was one of the most awkward moments of his life.

He was so uncomfortable he couldn't enjoy their... victory. If that was even the word. They could not exactly drag Helena back to the palace in chains, like the General had very kindly suggested, so they walked. Side-by-side, almost casual. Like they were just four friends hanging out, with a small snowman waddling happily beside them. If it weren't for the two guards that were never too far away, it would've been almost believable.

Andy and Krista walked a few steps behind them, talking in hushed tones. She was probably telling his brother what had happened in there. Andy's discomfort was the biggest of all, one could almost feel it in the air. And Helena, well... she seemed calm, which made Elliott uneasy to say the least. She had a way of hiding her emotions that was nothing to joke about. It was impossible to tell what she was feeling, her face betrayed nothing, her eyes were steel.

"I told you I didn't want to see you dead." The words left his mouth on impulse. Helena's eyes barely flickered in his direction, but she didn't say anything, so Elliott continued, "And you still ran, even when I practically assured you that you would not be getting death penalty, _you still ran_."

"I certainly wasn't going to stick around if I could help it," she snapped, her mask chipping if only a little bit. As they passed by a flower stand, two little boys stepped on their way to hand both Krista and Helena flowers. Elliott didn't know what kind of flowers they were, but Helena's was red. With her perfect princess training, she curtseyed at the boys and took a sniff of the flower, a big smile on her face.

"Thanks, Ivan!" Krista called out to the man in charge of the flowers, probably the little boys' father. Again Elliott was reminded of just how much his people loved Helena. The worst part is that she knew it. It would only stop if Elliott revealed the truth about her, but that wasn't something he was about to admit to anytime soon, and neither was Andy. He'd just have to deal with all the loving glances his people were sending her way until they reached the castle. Then he'd make sure she was locked up for good.

"You committed crimes, _princess_," Elliott kept a smile on for the people that waved at him as they walked past, but his words to her were harsh. "You have to take responsibility for your actions. You don't get to run from them."

"Kinda like _you_ did on your coronation day?"

The words were said in such a way that they were practically a slap to the face, and it made him stop walking immediately. Helena stopped too, meeting his icy glare with a smirk. She had tucked the flower behind her ear, making it contrast with her auburn hair in a very nice way and he hated it. Andy bumped into him, and Krista managed to dig her heels in before she bumped against the princess.

"Why... why are we stopping?" Andy said. He tried to catch Elliott's eye, but the king seemed to be trying to freeze Helena to a statue with his eyes alone. "What were you talking about?"

Helena was not acting like someone who had been defeated, in fact... it didn't make sense. She had looked very upset when they'd barged in the pub, but she'd quickly covered it up. And now her cocky front was up again, and Elliott couldn't stand it.

He refused to let her get the better of him, so he flashed a smile to match hers, "Nothing, Andy. Just how excited we are that one of her sisters will be arriving any day now from Corona."

"_What? Which one_?" and the mask slipped yet again. This time it was Elliott's turn to smirk. She knew how to make him angry, but he knew how to get back at her. She fumed at the expression on Elliott's face, "Corona is too close they- they could arrive any _second_!"

"Isn't that wonderful? The sooner the better." He gave her a not-so-gentle push on the back that border-lined on a shove, "Keep walking."

Helena grit her teeth and looked behind her, as if tempted to run. Krista immediately tensed, ready to give chase if it happened. General Winter's fingers tightened around the handle of his sword. The king himself felt a funny tickle of icy power in his fingers, but he didn't act on it, instead he watched.

The bright summer sun made Helena's eyes look like a green sea flecked with gold, and Elliott felt wrong for staring, but something about the look of longing on her face was captivating. She wanted to be free, just like he had for years. But Elliott had got out the cage he'd made for himself and let go of all those feelings that had plagued him for years, and eventually he had felt somewhat free. Helena was not quite there, and her cage was a completely different one. She had a lot of work to do.

With a sigh of resignation she tore her eyes away from looking back, and for a second a deep sadness crossed her face. Moments like those, it was easy to forget that this girl no older than twenty had almost put a sword through his back. He was about to speak before a flustered-looking dock master reached them, Kai right behind him. "Your Grace! They're here!"

"Who is here?" Elliott's eyebrows rose as the man hastily bowed and tried to catch his breath.

"Their flag is a bronze lion on a yellow field," the man said.

"Oh, _no_..." Helena mumbled. Her legs twitched under her weight, and it looked like she was about to run again. Elliott's arm shot out and gripped her arm tightly to stop her before she could make any sudden moves. "The Southern Isles, probably, Your Grace," Kai said.

"That's not... they told me they were _coming_," Elliott said, recalling the message he'd received merely _hours _ago. "_Not _that they were practically on our shore!"

The dock master shrugged, "They must have sent it while on the ship, traveled all night. Speaking of their ship, it looks wicked fast. Can cut through waves easily, and the winds were in favor-"

"_No_," Helena twisted her arm, trying to get out of Elliott's grip, "_Please no_," the begging tone was so unfamiliar Elliott was alarmed for a moment. "Is- is the ship military? Does it look like it's from the army?"

"Unlikely. It's not military or for business, looks like it's for pleasure, for vacation. Made for speed though," the dock master informed her.

He felt her relax beneath his hand for a second, but she got tense again very quickly when Elliott spoke, "Military? Why would they send-"

"One of her sisters is in the navy... an admiral, I'm pretty sure." Andy had said it so quietly for a second Elliott thought he had imagined it. It was the first time his little brother had acknowledged Helena's presence since the pub. "Cristina, I think that's her name..."

So Helena just wanted to know who had come. From her obvious relief, Elliott gathered that it was not Cristina on her war ship. From Helena's reaction, this admiral sister must be one of the less pleasant ones. Elliott forgot how much time Helena and Andy had spent together during his coronation party. How much they knew about each other from that night alone, just like right now Andy knowing that little detail.

"It's not Cristina," Elliott said, his tone a lot softer. He really needed her to be calm. "Maybe it's one of the nice ones." She winced, and Elliott realized he was still gripping her arm rather tightly, so he released her, raising his palms, "There's only one way to find out."

At Helena's lack of response and sulky silence, he turned to Kai, "Take us to them."

"Of course, My lord."

Elliott raised his eyes and spied around, looking for the flag with the bronze lion in a field of yellow. It was finally time to meet with another Westergard.

* * *

**+++I don't remember if the bear from Brave just disappears after dying, let's pretend it didn't, and they just made it into hideous decoration, yeah?**

**++Someone requested treasure planet, so Mr john silver was the guest for this chapter lol. if anyone has a character they'd like to request, do share! i can't promise they'll be in, but i will sure try, as long as their appearance makes sense for the story.**

**+writer's block is not completely over, but i got inspired for this one and, yeah, i had to make it nice and long to speed things up. i think it's the longest ever. hopefully nothing is confusing! **

**your support means a lot and reviews make my day, so please tell me what you think so far!**

**aaaas always, thank u for reading!:)**


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